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At least 17 people treated after contact with rabid raccoon.
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A Georgia health official says at least 17 people who were exposed to a rabid raccoon have started treatment.
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true
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Wildlife, Georgia, Animals, Rabies, Health, General News, Macon
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News outlets report North Central Health District spokesman Michael Hokanson gave an update Monday to the “Raccoon or Kitten” event that took place Aug. 3 in Macon. People who attended the event were allowed to interact with the raccoon. It had been owned by a private citizen but was later given to a wildlife rehab center where it died and tested positive for rabies. Hokanson says the raccoon didn’t scratch or bite anyone. The animal didn’t show signs of having rabies at the event. Hokanson says 33 people were recommended for treatment which involves a series of vaccines. The health department isn’t covering treatment and the cost varies depending on insurance.
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6653
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Native Hawaiians say telescope represents bigger struggle.
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Walter Ritte has been fighting for decades to protect Native Hawaiian rights, inspiring a new generation of activists trying to stop construction of a giant telescope they see as representative of a bigger struggle.
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true
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AP Top News, General News, Hawaii, Lifestyle, Water rights, Mauna Kea, U.S. News, Science
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In his early 30s, Ritte occupied a small Hawaiian island used as a military bombing range. Now at 74, he’s still a prolific protester, getting arrested this week for blocking a road to stop construction of the one of the world’s most powerful telescopes on Hawaii’s tallest peak, which some Native Hawaiians consider sacred. For activists who say they’re protecting Mauna Kea, the long-running telescope fight encapsulates critical issues to Native Hawaiians: the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom, clashes over land and water rights, frustration over tourism, attempts to curb development and questions about how the islands should be governed. It’s an example of battles by Native Americans to preserve ancestral lands, with high-profile protests like Dakota Access pipeline leading to arrests in southern North Dakota in 2016 and 2017. For Native Hawaiians, opposition to the $1.4 billion Thirty Meter Telescope isn’t universal — some support the educational opportunities from the project and are facing backlash from those questioning their identity. Ritte’s first taste of activism came during a resurgence of cultural pride and identity that began in the late 1960s and 1970s. He and other Native Hawaiian men hid on the small island of Kahoolawe that the military used for bombing practice. They were arrested, but the U.S. eventually stopped the training. “We didn’t know anything about ourselves as Hawaiians,” Ritte said of his youth. “When we got involved with Kahoolawe, we had no language, no history.” The young people leading the fight against the telescope grew up learning about his experiences and speaking Hawaiian amid an ongoing cultural renaissance. A 30-year-old leader of the telescope protest, Kaho’okahi Kanuha, credits Ritte and the Hawaiian movement for allowing him to grow up rooted to his culture. “Uncle Walter can talk about not knowing the language and not knowing the history. But he knew how to stand up, and he knew how to fight,” Kanuha said. “Because of the things they did, the results were Hawaiian language programs. The results were revitalization of the culture and of understanding and of awakening.” At Mauna Kea, Kanuha wears a traditional battle helmet as he speaks Hawaiian with protesters and negotiates with law enforcement. Thanks to the movement, he said he was able to learn Hawaiian at an immersion preschool and eventually earn a bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian language from the University of Hawaii. He’s fighting a project that dates to 2009, when scientists selected Mauna Kea after a global campaign to find the ideal site for what telescope officials said “will likely revolutionize our understanding of the universe.” The mountain on the Big Island is revered for its consistently clear weather and lack of light pollution. The telescope won a series of approvals from Hawaii, including a permit to build on conservation land in 2011. Protests began during a groundbreaking in 2014 and culminated in arrests in 2015. Last year, the state Supreme Court upheld the construction permit, though protesters are still fighting in court and at the mountain. Thirty-four people, mostly elders, were arrested this week as officials try to start building again. The swelling protest is a natural reaction to the pain Native Hawaiians have endured and the changes the islands have seen, said Glen Kila, program director of Marae Ha’a Koa, a Hawaiian cultural center. “The pain began when they took people off the land,” he said. “And then they took governance and stewardship of the land, like Mauna Kea.” The battle is bigger than the telescope, said Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, a teacher and cultural practitioner. “The TMT and Mauna Kea is just the focal point. For me it’s just a galvanizing element,” she said. “It goes back to the role that foreigners played and continue to play in Hawaii.” From 18th century explorer James Cook’s arrival in the islands, to laborers brought to plantations and today’s tourism, the telescope is another example of outside interests overtaking Hawaiian culture, she said. “They capitalize and commercialize our culture,” Wong-Kalu said. “They prostitute the elements that make us Hawaiian. They make it look pretty and make it look alluring in an effort to bring more money into this state.” But not all Native Hawaiians see the telescope as representative of past wrongs. “My family feels that they’re trying to use the TMT to boost their sovereignty issue,” said Annette Reyes, a Native Hawaiian who supports the telescope project. “I want sovereignty for the Hawaiian people. I want them to have their country back. But TMT shouldn’t be the lightning rod for it.” Reyes pointed to telescope officials’ pledge to provide $1 million every year to boost science, technology, engineering and math education. She said opponents have called her a fake Hawaiian for supporting the project. For some, it’s not just a political issue. It’s spiritual for Kealoha Pisciotta, who’s long fought the telescope. “The problem is being Hawaiian today is a political statement,” she said. “We have to take political action to practice religion.” Mauna Kea is a “living entity” that “gives life,” Kila said. “So that’s a different philosophy from the scientific world, that it’s just a mountain that can be used for an observatory. It can be developed. For us, that’s sacrilegious,” he said. For Ritte and others, the telescope is the latest battle over Hawaiian culture. He spent 11 hours Monday lying attached to a grate in the road leading up to Mauna Kea’s summit with seven other protesters. “We protected and saved Kahoolawe from the United States military,” Ritte said. “Now we have to save and protect the rest of our islands.”
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18630
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"Joseph Levy Says indoor workers get ""less UV than outdoor workers, but they get more melanomas."
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Are indoor workers more likely to get melanoma, despite lower UV than outdoor workers?
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false
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Oregon, Children, Health Care, Government Regulation, Public Health, Joseph Levy,
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"Oregon lawmakers are pondering a bill that would prohibit teenagers from hopping into professional tanning beds, unless they have an order from a doctor saying it’s OK. House Bill 2896, which cleared the Oregon House, has bipartisan support and the staunch backing of public health and cancer specialists, who say that teen tanners are at high risk of developing melanoma. They spoke passionately at a recent legislative hearing. Also at the hearing was Joseph Levy, executive director of International Smart Tan Network. And he wasn’t having any of that anti-tanning bed testimony. He mounted a spirited defense of his industry, denying that there is a ""straightforward relationship"" between melanoma and ultraviolet light. ""That would be impossible. Indoor workers get 3 to 9 times less UV than outdoor workers, but they get more melanomas. The proponents of the bill have not acknowledged that very important caveat. It is not disputed. The World Health Organization recognizes it,"" he said. PolitiFact Oregon wanted to know if indoor workers have higher rates of melanoma than outdoor workers, who are exposed every working day to UV light from the sun. And if so, does that necessarily upend the link between exposure and cancer? Because that is how Levy was using the statistic -- to make the larger point that more UV does not necessarily mean more cancer, so there’s no need to keep teens from tanning beds. UV and cancer UV is indisputably a carcinogen, like alcohol and tobacco. Exposure doesn’t necessarily lead to skin cancer, but the chances go up. Medical experts say there are lots of factors that determine who develops cancer, including genetics. Freckled fair-skinned redheads with many moles, for example, are at greater risk than olive-complected people without moles. Still, leading health organizations all agree that people should limit exposure to the sun: Wear a hat, apply sunscreen, cover up limbs. Tanning beds have UV rays, just like sunshine. Is Levy right about melanoma rates being higher among indoor workers over outdoor workers? He sent over two documents, one an abstract of a 1990 study of sunlight exposure and melanoma in the U.S. Navy. The other is a one-page fact sheet from the Smart Tan Educational Institute, quoting the World Health Organization and listing a number of study citations. Neither provided enough clarity for PolitiFact Oregon. With the help of the Internet, we found a 2011 research article by Dianne E. Godar, a chemist with the Food and Drug Administration. In the introduction, she writes that ""although outdoor workers get three to 10 times the annual UV dose that indoor workers get, they have similar or lower incidences of cutaneous malignant melanoma."" CMM, as it’s called, is a dangerous form of melanoma that can spread if not treated. The author gives three reasons for why this might be: One, people who work indoors are exposed to high concentrations of sunlight on holiday or on weekends, resulting in sunburns that may lay the groundwork for skin cancer. Two, these people work inside offices where they receive sunlight filtered through windows. The windows allow in gene-mutating UVA wavelengths, which promote cancer development, but block out Vitamin D-making UVB, which ward off tumor development. Who knew? The World Health Organization shares that line of reasoning: ""Tumour development may be linked to occasional exposure to short periods of intense sunlight, such as at weekends or on holiday. The higher incidence of malignant melanoma in indoor workers compared to outdoor workers supports that notion."" So, it’s not that indoor workers are avoiding the sun; it’s that they’re getting the wrong kind of sun in the worst possible way. We reached out to Godar but were not able to communicate with her directly. An FDA spokeswoman provided a statement, which reads in part: ""Melanoma incidence has consistently been associated with intense, intermittent sun exposure as opposed to chronic sun exposure such as that received by some outdoor workers."" We also reached out to Joseph Levy, to let him know that it’s not just a matter of indoor workers receiving less light. We reminded him that the WHO quote -- which his group uses -- suggests a link between tumors and exposure to shorter rounds of intense sunlight. He suggested PolitiFact Oregon did not understand what he was saying. ""The NATURE of the relationship between UV and melanoma is not understood. There are theories (such as the theory that sunburn or perhaps intermittent exposures may be the issue) but they are just that: theories,"" he wrote. So he’s OK with the numbers, but not OK with the theories. We also checked with Dr. Brian Druker, director of the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University. Druker agrees with Levy that this is a complex issue and that genetics play a role. But Druker says the ""weight of the medical evidence"" is clear: Exposure to sun increases the risk of skin cancer. As for Levy’s use of the indoor workers statistic? ""That was a complete distortion of why that risk was higher,"" Druker said. The ruling: Levy is using the finding -- that indoor workers have higher rates of melanoma than outdoor workers -- to try to derail legislation that would make tanning beds off-limits to teenagers, who have more susceptible skin. His statement contains an element of truth, but ignores critical facts. The theory for the element of truth is that indoor workers have higher rates of melanoma than outdoor workers because of the way they are exposed to sun, and to types of sun rays. We find that’s information that would make readers think twice about tanning beds as benign."
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1562
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Endangered Hawaiian crow shows a knack for tool use.
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An endangered crow species from Hawaii that already is extinct in the wild displays remarkable proficiency in using small sticks and other objects to wrangle a meal, joining a small and elite group of animals that use tools.
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true
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Science News
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Scientists said on Wednesday that in a series of experiments the crow, known by its indigenous Hawaiian name ‘Alala, used objects as tools with dexterity to get at hard-to-reach meat, sometimes modifying them by shortening too-long sticks or making tools from raw plant material. “Tool use is exceedingly rare in the animal kingdom,” evolutionary ecologist Christian Rutz of the University of St Andrews in Scotland, who led the study published in the journal Nature, said in an email. The ‘Alala (pronounced ah-la-lah) is the second crow species known to naturally use tools. The other is the New Caledonian crow on New Caledonia island in the South Pacific, which uses tools to extract insects and other prey from deadwood and vegetation. New Caledonian and Hawaiian crows share a common feature: unusually straight bills. The researchers wondered whether this trait might be an evolutionary adaptation for holding tools, akin to people’s opposable thumbs. Scientists are trying to save the ‘Alala from extinction. The remaining 131 birds are kept in two facilities on the Big Island of Hawaii and the island of Maui. “A range of factors may have contributed to the species’ decline in the late 20th century, including habitat change and disease,” Rutz said. Scientists have mounted a captive-breeding program and later this year plan to release captive-reared birds on the Big Island, their former home in the wild, to try to re-establish a wild population. Humans are the most adept tool users. But our closest genetic cousins, chimpanzees, use stick probes to extract ants, termites and honey. Capuchin monkeys and macaques use stones to hammer open hard-shelled nuts and shellfish, respectively. Egyptian vultures and black-breasted buzzards use stone tools to crack open bird eggs for food. Even some invertebrates, including digger wasps, hermit crabs and some spiders, use tools. In experiments using 104 captive birds, the researchers presented Hawaiian crows with a wooden log with multiple drilled holes and crevices baited with small pieces of meat. The crows could see the meat, but not reach it with their bill alone. The vast majority spontaneously used sticks and other objects to probe for the hidden food: 93 percent of adults and 47 of younger birds. Link to research paper in the journal Nature: nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/nature19103
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41868
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Said the Justice Department's indictments last month of Republican Reps. Chris Collins and Duncan Hunter Jr. were the result of “long running, Obama era, investigations.”
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President Donald Trump distorted the facts in a Labor Day tweet complaining about the Justice Department’s indictments last month of two of his earliest congressional allies, Reps. Chris Collins and Duncan Hunter Jr.
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mixture
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campaign finance laws, ethics, insider trading,
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President Donald Trump distorted the facts in a Labor Day tweet complaining about the Justice Department’s indictments last month of two of his earliest congressional allies, Reps. Chris Collins and Duncan Hunter Jr.In the tweet, Trump described both cases as “long running, Obama era, investigations.” That’s wrong in Collins’ case and misleading in Hunter’s case:In both cases, the indictments were executed by U.S. attorneys appointed by Attorney General Jeff Sessions: Geoffrey S. Berman, who was appointed the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York in January 2018, and Adam Braverman, who became the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California on Nov. 16, 2017. Sessions, of course, was appointed by Trump.Collins and Hunter were the first two members of Congress to support Trump for president. Their endorsements came on Feb. 24, 2016, a day after Trump defeated his two top rivals, Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, in the Nevada caucus. (Jeb Bush had already dropped out earlier that month. )In a Labor Day tweet, Trump criticized his attorney general for the timing of the indictments of “two very popular Republican Congressmen,” saying the “well publicized” charges could hurt the Republican Party in this fall’s midterm election. The president also wrongly described the indictments as being the result of “[t]wo long running, Obama era, investigations.”Two long running, Obama era, investigations of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department. Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff……— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2018Let’s look first at the indictment of Collins, whose charges stemmed from a Trump-era investigation.Collins, a board member and stockholder in Innate Immunotherapeutics Ltd., received an email on June 22, 2017, from Innate’s chief executive about the clinical trial results for a drug being developed by Innate, according to the Aug. 8 indictment.The company’s “primary business was the research and development of a drug called MIS416, which was intended to treat Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis,” but the CEO said the test results showed “no clinically meaningful or statistically significant” differences in outcomes between the drug and the placebo. “No doubt we will want to consider this extremely bad news,” the company CEO said.A separate civil complaint filed the same day by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission described what happened after Collins received the CEO’s email.SEC, Aug. 8: Christopher Collins responded to the email and then approximately 15 seconds later began attempting to reach his son, Cameron Collins. After exchanging several missed calls, Christopher Collins and Cameron Collins connected and spoke for six minutes. Over the next two trading days, between the opening of the market on Friday, June 23, and the close of the market on Monday, June 26, and while the clinical trial results were still nonpublic, Cameron Collins sold a total of nearly 1.4 million Innate shares based on material, nonpublic information he received from Christopher Collins. Cameron and Christopher Collins spoke by telephone at least nine times during that same time period.The SEC complaint also alleges that Cameron Collins and his fiancee drove to her parents’ house “shortly after” he talked to his father on June 22. “Within minutes of their arrival, his girlfriend’s mother took steps to sell her Innate shares,” the SEC complaint says. As a result of the insider tip, prosecutors say Cameron Collins avoided $570,900 in stock losses and his fiancee’s parents prevented a loss of $143,900. The indictment says the congressman did not sell any of his stock in the company.The New York congressman, his son and Stephen Zarsky, the father of his son’s fiancee, were each charged with conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud and making false statements to the FBI.It’s not clear when the Department of Justice started its investigation of Collins, who previously had been under a separate House ethics investigation regarding his investments in Innate. There is no public record indicating that the Justice Department had been investigating Collins’ investments in the company prior to June 22, and the department declined to comment in an email to us.But it is clear that the investigation that led to the congressman’s indictment began after Trump took office — so the president is wrong to describe it as a “long running, Obama era” investigation.As for Hunter, the California Republican and his wife, Margaret, were indicted on Aug. 21 for allegedly spending more than $250,000 in campaign funds on personal expenses and filing false campaign finance reports to cover up the spending.Trump is correct that the charges against Hunter stemmed from an investigation that was opened during the Obama administration. However, Trump also described it as a “long running, Obama era” investigation, when in fact the investigation lasted longer under the Trump administration than it did under the Obama administration.“The criminal investigation began in June of 2016, two months after the Federal Election Commission and the San Diego Union-Tribune questioned some of Hunter’s campaign expenses as potentially personal,” the DOJ said in a statement announcing the indictment of Hunter and his wife.That means that the federal investigation of the Hunters lasted only about eight months under the Obama administration and extended another 19 months under the Trump administration, ending with the Aug. 21 indictment.The indictment against the Hunters was filed by Braverman, who, again, was appointed by Sessions. “The indictment alleges that Congressman Hunter and his wife repeatedly dipped into campaign coffers as if they were personal bank accounts, and falsified FEC campaign finance reports to cover their tracks,” Braverman said in the DOJ press release on the indictment. “Elected representatives should jealously guard the public’s trust, not abuse their positions for personal gain. Today’s indictment is a reminder that no one is above the law.”
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3842
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New York inmates sue over prison crackdown on painkillers.
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A group of inmates is suing the New York state prison system over its efforts to crack down on prescription drug abuse, saying they are being forced to live with chronic pain because some medications have become too difficult to get behind bars.
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true
|
Chronic pain, Medication, Prisons, New York, Drug abuse, Prescription drugs, Lawsuits, General News
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The lawsuit, filed in federal court Monday, takes aim at a policy launched in 2017 that requires an extra layer of approval by senior prison system medical staff before inmates can get prescriptions filled for commonly abused and overused drugs. In reality, those approvals are rarely given, the lawsuit said, leading to hundreds of prisoners being cut off from drugs used for legitimate medical reasons. “The wholesale denial of these medications especially effects an already vulnerable population: one that includes patients with severe spinal and neurological issues, phantom pain from amputations, multiple sclerosis and serious, chronic pain,” the lawsuit said. The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision declined a request for an interview with officials who could discuss the medication policy in detail, but spokesman Thomas Mailey said in a statement that the agency is “committed to battling the opioid epidemic and stemming the tide of addiction which has greatly affected incarcerated individuals in the Department’s custody.” Eighteen prisoners are listed as plaintiffs in the suit. Many complained about restricted access to two drugs, the opioid painkiller tramadol, sold under the brand name Ultram, and the nerve pain and anti-convulsant medication gabapentin, sold under the brand name Neurontin. Gabapentin isn’t a controlled substance on the federal level, but a growing number of states have taken steps to more closely monitor its use because of evidence it is being used by huge numbers of opioid addicts to make their high more potent. It is increasingly being discovered in the blood of people who have fatally overdosed on opioids. Simultaneously, it has become one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the U.S. Health officials in several countries have also documented widespread abuse of gabapentin in jails. The New York lawsuit includes several prisoners who say they need the drug and other painkillers for legitimate reasons The suit said one of them, Angel Hernandez, 57, had been taking Ultram and Neurontin for years to control pain, numbness and a burning sensation from a degenerative spine problem and other ailments but was cut off from both drugs in 2017. His “medical records are full of his complaints of severe and unmitigated pain and suffering. Nothing was done,” the lawsuit said. Another plaintiff in the suit, Wayne Stewart, 40, said he had chronic pain after injuries from a shooting in 2003 that left five bullets lodged in his body, including his head and the base of his spine. The gunshot wounds left him paralyzed from the waist down. He has also suffered from a pelvic bone infection. The suit said Stewart’s prescription for extended-release morphine was discontinued in favor of a far less potent dose of Percocet, which contains the opioid oxycodone. Then the Percocet prescription was also discontinued without cause. “To this day, Mr. Stewart continues to live with chronic, untreated pain,” the lawsuit said. Pain management in prisons and jails is complicated due to concerns of prescription diversion and misuse, said Lipi Roy, a clinical assistant professor at NYU Langone. Roy described pain as a complex problem with many causes such as injury and emotional trauma, something that makes it difficult to manage and diagnose. She said doctors can use vital signs, a patient’s history and other tools to diagnose pain, but she also noted that health care professionals learn little about pain management during their training. ___ Ryan Tarinelli is a corps member for Report for America, a nonprofit organization that supports local news coverage in a partnership with The Associated Press for New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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9242
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Cocoa compound linked to some cardiovascular biomarker improvements
|
There have been so many stories about the possible health benefits of cocoa flavanol-derived chocolate over the years and so many studies purporting to document these benefits that it is useful to have a meta-analysis of the available clinical trial evidence. This release is based on a review of 19 randomized controlled trials that studied the effects of cocoa flavanols on biomarkers of heart health. We expected to see a lot of good data in this release but found very little. Instead we found strong statements about the findings being “significant” or about how the “benefits they were evident for both women and men.” There were a few caveats sprinkled in too, helpfully. The study authors are quoted saying the review and meta-analysis point to the need for larger, longer clinical trials to judge whether these changes in biomarkers translate into actual improved outcomes for people. And there was an acknowledgment that some of the funding for the work came from one of the world’s biggest chocolate makers. What’s the harm with another story or another news release about chocolate, or cocoa flavanols? There isn’t any — if the information is balanced and complete. The problem with so much of the information about chocolate is that it’s usually imbalanced and incomplete, superficially shallow, and treating chocolate as a no-brainer superfood. The lack of specificity in this release, for example, would not allow a reporter to know whether this story was worth pursuing. And if reporters did report on this unquestioningly, the general public would not be getting all the information they need.
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mixture
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Brown University,chocolate,cocoa flavanols
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There is no discussion of costs in the release. We didn’t expect to see chocolate bar prices. But there are existing dietary cocoa flavanol products on the market that could easily have been referenced. Only 7% of the releases we’ve reviewed so far adequately address cost. It has to start somewhere. Each news release writer can say to him/herself, ‘Not in this case.’ And in 93% of cases so far, cost is inadequately discussed. There is no quantification of the benefits. The release would have been improved with an example of one or two biomarkers that were different in the higher flavanol vs less intake groups. When the release notes that study participants “saw significant declines in blood glucose and insulin,” adding a number or range would have been helpful. The authors used the “weighted mean difference” as a measure which may be cumbersome to describe in a news release. However, some quantification was needed here and there was no attempt made to add any. We think that you can’t have a release that talks about how “tempting” the results of a new chocolate-is-good-for-you story without talking about the countervailing wind that is the high calorie count of so many chocolate products. If everyone starts having a chocolate milkshake at lunch after reading this study, our obesity epidemic is going to be even worse. The release included a quote from the study author who noted that “the findings from the current study apparently shouldn’t be generalized to different sorts of chocolate candies or white chocolates, of which the content of sugar/food additives could be substantially higher than that of the dark chocolate.” But that didn’t go far enough. We think there was an opportunity here to discuss the real health implications of adding cocoa flavanols to the diet in whatever form it might take. Only 37% of all releases we’ve reviewed are graded satisfactory on harms. The discussion on an intervention’s harms needs to start somewhere, and a news release is often the headwaters of the news stream. We liked how the release explained the specifics of the metanalysis and also talked about how small most of the studies were and that many of them were short in duration. The release overall was very clear about the goal of the review and meta-analysis — both to quantify the differences in biomarkers and to determine whether the body of evidence is adequate to support additional research. There is no disease mongering in this release. The release makes the funding sources clear. In addition to Lin and Liu, the study’s other authors are Isabel Zhang, Alina Li from Brown University, JoAnn Manson, Howard Sesso and Lu Wang from Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The authors acknowledge funding from the National Institutes of Health including the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the American Heart Association, and Pfizer. Co-authors at Brigham and Women’s also noted receiving funding from Mars Symbioscience, a research segment of Mars, Inc., which makes chocolate products. There is no comparison of alternatives in the release. Are statins a much bigger factor, for example, in cardio health? What about omega-3 fatty acids? What about just eating a balanced diet overall? The release would have been improved with a mention that modest weight loss and exercise are standard ways to improve metabolic markers for cardiovascular disease. The release notes that cocoa flavanols can be obtained from various sources including drinks (cocoa) and dark chocolate. It’s common knowledge that these are widely available. It’s less widely known that dietary cocoa flavanol products are available and it would have been useful to point that out. The release did not establish the novelty of the meta-nalysis itself nor the underlying studies. There was no unjustifiable language in the piece. In fact, we thought it did a pretty good job bringing in the appropriate caveats and using language like: “There were small-to-modest but statistically significant improvements among those who ate flavanol-rich cocoa product vs. those who did not.” The release was very measured and like the scientific review, did not overstate the findings.
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825
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Cash for trash: Indonesia village banks on waste recycling.
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Indonesia’s crackdown on imported foreign waste has upset the village of Bangun, where residents say they earn more money sorting through piles of garbage than growing rice in once-lush paddy fields.
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true
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Environment
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Overwhelmed by a spike in waste imports after China closed its doors to foreign garbage, Indonesia has tightened import rules and customs inspections, sending hundreds of tonnes of foreign waste back to their origin countries. Green groups praised the crackdown, but Bangun residents say restricting trash from countries like the United States, Canada and Australia will wipe out a key source of income. “If they’re going to forbid us from this, there must be a solution. The government hasn’t provided us jobs,” said Heri Masud as he took a break from sifting through rubbish piled high around the village of 3,600 people. The front and backyards of homes in Bangun overflow with waste on land that once had been used to grow rice. (Click reut.rs/31ykkga to see a photo essay) Villagers look for plastic and aluminum to sell to recycling firms. Tofu makers also buy waste to burn as fuel when making the soy-based food. Masud said the money from sorting trash is used to fund activities such as sending villagers on the Haj pilgrimage to Islam’s holiest sites in Saudi Arabia. “Every year 17-20 people from this village go on a Haj. That’s funded from this waste,” he said. Salam, 54, said recycled rubbish paid for his children’s schooling, and also bought a house for his family and livestock. “I have nine goats now,” said Salam, who works as a waste broker between villagers and a nearby paper factory and says his job is easier than farming. While it may be more lucrative, the piles of garbage are a threat to villagers’ health, environmentalists say. Research by the green group ECOTON found microplastics had polluted groundwater in Bangun and in the nearby Brantas river used for drinking water by 5 million people in the area. Indonesia imported 283,000 tonnes of plastic waste last year, up 141% from a year earlier. The country is the second biggest contributor of plastic pollutants in the world’s oceans, according to a 2015 study. Domestic waste is also a problem. Indonesia generates 105,000 tonnes of solid municipal waste everyday in urban areas, with only 15% recycled, said a World Bank report in June. Many city landfills are near capacity and beaches around the archipelago are often strewn with rubbish. “We already know that Indonesia is dirty, and now America is adding their rubbish,” Prigi Arisandi, executive director of ECOTON, said at a recent rally outside the U.S. consulate general in Surabaya in East Java. Indonesia has launched a plan to reduce marine plastic debris by 70% by 2025, pledging to spend $1 billion, but it is unclear how much progress has been made. The government is behind schedule for setting up waste-to-energy plants, while a plan to impose a levy on plastic bags is facing strong opposition from the plastic industry.
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36582
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Various causes of death claimed specific numbers of American lives in 2018.
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Are Deaths Listed in a ‘2018 Muslim Threat’ Tweet Accurate?
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unproven
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Fact Checks, Viral Content
|
On January 1, 2019, civil rights lawyer and podcast host Qasim Rashid, Esq. tweeted a purported breakdown of the so-called “Muslim threat” relative to other risks to Americans in 2018:2018 Recap of the “Muslim threat”Americans killed by: •Americans w/guns: 40,000 •Falling out of bed: 700 •Hit by bus: 260 •Lawnmowers: 70 •Lightning: 30 •Armed toddlers: 20 •White supremacists:15 •Muslim extremists: 1WH: 100% Silence on white supremacy🤔#HappyNewYear— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@MuslimIQ) January 2, 2019According to Rashid: 40,000 Americans were killed by guns, 700 fell out of bed to their deaths, 260 were hit by buses, 70 died in unfortunate lawnmower accidents, 30 were fatally struck by lightning, 20 died at the hands of armed toddlers, 15 were murdered by white supremacists, and one American was killed by a Muslim extremist.We could not find a response tweet from Rashid in which he provided a source for the specific numbers he referenced, but a similar claim made by Kim Kardashian in January 2017 led to articles about various causes of death mentioned in the tweet.This sparked a debate in which some claimed that the numbers would be different in Europe; others added that armed Americans were a deterrent to Muslim extremism. Still more commenters referenced the number of deaths from lack of affordable healthcare, a topic we have covered in depth, and at least one person mentioned the five Americans killed by lettuce in 2018:No, he’s not kidding https://t.co/xONyOBKvC2— Hutaff Hillside (@LucasHaskins) January 2, 2019The first statistic referenced — 40,000 Americans purportedly killed by firearms in 2018 — is data typically obtained for the purpose of fact-checking from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s annual morbidity and mortality reports. The tool used, wonder.cdc.gov, includes data up to the year 2017 as of early January 2019.In lieu of those figures, we averaged all firearm-related deaths for the ten-year period between 2007 and 2017. The number returned by the CDC tool was 373,663, averaging 37,366 a year:That figure rounded up would yield 40,000. However, CDC mortality statistics for 2018 would not be available for several months as of January 2019.The CDC also provided statistics for multiple causes of death from to buses, lawnmowers, and lightning:Between 2007 and 2017, we found that 13,277 Americans were killed in incidents involving a bus, or approximately 1,328 annually; 9,051 Americans were killed by falling out of bed, or 905 a year. Lawnmowers resulted in the deaths of 846 Americans that decade, or about 85 each year, and 317 Americans died in lightning strikes, about 32 annually.The final three causes of death were more difficult to pin down: armed toddlers, white supremacists, and Muslim extremists. The latter two fell into the realm of “homicide,” figures typically obtained from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The former, toddlers discharging firearms, did not seem to be available through any centralized database.The tweet attributed 20 deaths in 2018 to armed toddlers, but we were unable to locate the source of that number. Christopher Ingraham’s October 2015 Washington Post piece “People are getting shot by toddlers on a weekly basis this year” often formed the basis of “armed toddler” claims, but in those figures, 13 toddlers killed themselves and two killed other people, for a total of fifteen. Ingraham maintained detailed data about to shooting deaths in the United States for his work, but we found nothing offering information for toddler-involved shootings in 2018.Statistics maintained by gun control advocacy group Everytown for 2018 counted “at least” 204 unintentional shootings by children in 2018. The group referenced “media reports to identify shootings in which a person age 17 or under unintentionally fires a gun and harms themselves or someone else,” but the figures provided by Everytown were not restricted to toddlers. The group included the age of the victim of the shootings, but not the age of the child who discharged the weapon.For the “white supremacists” cause of death cited by Rashid, once again there was no real cohesive data from which to obtain a solid figure (although related claims remained popular). The only widely-cited related report we could find originated with Jewish non-governmental organization the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in, which provided its own figures for 2017:White supremacists were “directly responsible” for 18 out of 34 U.S. extremist-related deaths in 2017, the ADL said. Islamic extremists, by comparison, were only responsible for nine deaths in America.The claims about American killed annually by guns, falling out of bed, buses, lawnmowers, and lightning were not too far from the average figures for those causes of death in 2007 through 2017; figures for 2018 were not available in January 2019. We were unable to find figures for the final three causes — armed toddlers, white supremacists, and Muslim extremists — even for years prior to 2018. However, the larger point — that the threat of Muslim extremism is significantly less likely to kill Americans than nearly every other preventable way to die — is true.
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New Alzheimer’s Drug Shows Early Promise
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Overall, a solid job of reporting. Several criticisms: The headline “drug shows early promise” is more awestruck than the story dictates. Compare with WebMD’s cautious headline, “Drug May Reduce Plaque in Brains of Alzheimer’s Patients.” Period. May reduce plaque. That’s about all that can be said at this point. The story discussed potential harms but didn’t report on the harms actually observed in the study. There is always the risk of fostering false hope in reporting on Alzheimer’s drug stories. Except for its headline, this story did a very good job of putting the research results into an appropriately cautious context for readers.
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true
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Alzheimer's,HealthDay
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Not applicable. It’s understandable that costs wouldn’t be discussed in such early research. The story adequately described the responses of study participants at different dose levels. And it clearly established that “it’s by no means certain that reducing levels of amyloid plaque would stave off memory loss and other mental declines.” Other important caveats included: A strict application of this criterion warrants an unsatisfactory score. HealthDay only discussed “potential for serious side effects” but didn’t report how often they occured. WebMD, by comparison, gave specifics that two of six patients receiving the highest dose “developed possible findings of vasogenic edema, or fluid collecting in the brain tissue, as well as micro-hemorrhages.” To its partial credit, HealthDay did discuss several potential side effects, but why not report what was actually observed in the study you’re reporting on? We applaud how HealthDay placed caveats very high, very early in the story. No disease mongering of Alzheimer’s disease. Independent experts perspectives were helpful. Funding by the drug’s manufacturer was disclosed. The story explained that “There are approximately one dozen therapies, including vaccines, for Alzheimer’s disease that are currently in the pipeline” …and “none are ready for prime time.” Nice touch. The early, experimental stage of the research was clear in the story. The story explains that the study was “among the first to show the effects” of the drug in people. Actually, another anti-amyloid drug (bapineuzumab) showed similar findings in a study published in Lancet in 2010. Although there was a 25% reduction in beta amyloid there was no corresponding improvement in function. The story explains that there are a dozen or so other therapies being investigated. It’s clear that the story did not rely solely on a news release.
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38738
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued a warning that manufacturers in China are making condoms into hair ties.
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CDC Warns of Condoms Being Used as Hair Bands
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false
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Warnings
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A fake news website is behind false reports that the CDC issued a warning about condoms being made into hairbands. This rumor isn’t a new one, either. We first investigated reports that Chinese manufacturers were making condoms into hair ties back in 2007. We cautiously reported that the story was true because we found a credible report from Chinese media about it. Click here to read our previous findings. The hair tie condom story has popped up numerous times over the years. Chinese media once again reported that people had commented online that they’d purchased cheap, brightly colored hairbands from street vendors in southwest China’s Chongqing district only to find condoms inside. Those reports didn’t identify the manufacturers of the alleged hairband condoms, or vet the consumer reports. Then, in Novemer 2015, an American fake news website called Now News 8 picked up the rumor with a false report headlined, “CDC Warns: Hair Bands From China Made of Used Condoms, Could Spread STDs.” According to the report: The Center For Disease Control (CDC) is warning Americans that used condoms have been reportedly reprocessed into rubber bands and hair ties and have been sold in the United States, raising concerns about public health safety. Aside from being sold at local swap meets and flea markets, the recycled condoms have been found at local beauty salons all across the country. The CDC says this threatens the health of consumers who are using these products and are concerned that using these hair ties and rubber bands could lead to the spread of AIDS, genital warts and other STD’s. The CDC has released this statement: “The amount of bacteria and potential viruses on these hair ties and rubber bands, which are made from used unsanitary condoms, has 4 times the bacteria found on a public restroom toilet. Consumers could potentially be infected with AIDS, warts, herpes and other venereal diseases if they hold the rubber bands or hair ties in their mouths while setting their hair. We warn against consumers purchasing these products if they were made in China.” The CDC has not issued a warning about condoms being made into hairbands, and there were no new credible reports of that happening when the Now 8 News report went viral. Now 8 News is one of many fake news websites that appears to look like a local news station in an effort to duping readers into believing it’s stories are true. If you travel to China, it’s probably wise to avoid buying hairbands from street vendors. For shoppers in the U.S., however, there are no credible threats (or CDC warnings) about condoms being made into hairbands. Comments
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9332
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Tiny Device Is a ‘Huge Advance’ for Treatment of Severe Heart Failure
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This story reported on results of a randomized clinical trial of a device called the MitraClip, used to repair the mitral valve in patients with heart failure. Results of the trial, called COAPT, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The story provided some very important details. For example, it addressed the cost of the device, provided data to quantify the extent of the benefit, and mentioned that the study was funded by the clip’s maker, Abbot. But the story lacked balance in its sourcing. All of the physicians quoted were somehow involved in the study. The story only briefly mentioned a different trial that showed the device offered no benefit for people with heart failure, and didn’t mention that a third trial is underway. It also didn’t spell out that only about 10% of people with heart failure are similar to those in this trial. As this story states, there are millions of people living with heart failure who have very low quality of life, and few treatment options. An advance that could improve and lengthen their lives would indeed be welcome news. However, a single trial that is contradicted by other research is not sufficient to declare a “huge advance,” as this story does. Moreover, news stories should always use caution in reporting on new medical devices, which often have limited data to show they are effective and safe.
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mixture
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heart failure
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The story reported that “the device itself costs about $30,000, not counting the cost of the hospital and doctors: a surgeon, an interventional cardiologist and an echocardiologist, among others, all in the operating room.” An idea of the total cost would have been useful, since it’s likely to be far higher than $30k. The story said: “Among those who received only medical treatment, 151 were hospitalized for heart failure in the ensuing two years. Sixty-one died. In contrast, just 92 who got the device were hospitalized for heart failure during the period, and 28 died.” We wish the story had clarified that the figures for deaths referred only to deaths from heart failure, not deaths from any cause. Also, the story could have provided percentages to help readers draw precise comparisons. Among those who received only medical treatment, 56.7% were hospitalized for heart failure and 25.9% died from heart failure. Among those with the device, 35.7% were hospitalized for heart failure and 12% died from heart failure. Death from any cause: During the study period, 29.1% in the device group died, and 46.1% in the control group died. The story did not address potential harms of this device nor mention that medical devices are not required to provide robust safety data to go on the market in the U.S. According to the study, 3.4% of patients experienced complications related to the device within one year. It’s important to keep in mind that this adverse event rate is under ideal conditions–where patients are closely monitored by physicians because of clinical trial enrollment. While there may be smaller surgical incisions than standard surgery, is it still quite invasive to insert a metal clip into a heart valve. Post-surgery, the device can malfunction, and cause a host of problems, including death. The story did some things well–laying out the basic design and how follow-up worked. However, we wanted to see more about the limitations with this study, such as the need for longer-term data. The study’s authors said follow-up, which will continue through five years, is necessary to “fully characterize the safety and effectiveness of the device.” Also, the story goes on to state that “doctors inserting the device first had to demonstrate their expertise doing so. An independent group of experts ascertained that patients’ medical care was optimal; all too often, heart failure patients do not receive ideal treatment.” It’s worth exploring whether those “impeccable” conditions might have led to better relative outcomes for patients who received the device. The lead states that “almost two million Americans have heart failure, and for them even mundane tasks can be extraordinarily difficult.” Later, we’re told the number who might ultimately be treated will be less than the number who could be treated. The story did not fully capture the fact that only a limited number of patients might actually benefit from this technology. In other coverage, the lead investigator was quoted saying that 10% of all patients with heart failure are similar to those in this trial. The story did a mixed job. On the plus side, it reported that the maker of the clip, Abbott, funded the study. It also reported that one of the physicians quoted “reported no relevant conflicts, but said that Columbia University gets royalties from the sale of the MitraClip.” However, the story did not say whether other physicians who were quoted have conflicts of interest. At least one had a substantial conflict that we found. Gilbert Tang, MD, received $57,600 in payments from Abbott in 2017. Most importantly, all of the physicians quoted had some connection to the trial. The story would have benefited from at least one physician source who wasn’t a cheerleader for this device. The story stated, “Until now, there has been little doctors can do” for people with heart failure, aside from drugs to control symptoms. This is perhaps a little pessimistic as there are a number of different medications that have been shown to improve outcomes in heart failure patients. This was a strong point. The story stated: “If the device is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of severe heart failure, as expected, then insurers, including Medicare, most likely will cover it.” It also stated, “Not every cardiologist is equipped to insert the clip.” The story quoted several doctors who spoke of the trial results in glowing terms: “huge advance” “very, very powerful message,” “game changer,” and “massive.” But it downplayed another recent trial that showed the clip offered no benefit, saying “that research included many patients with less severe valve problems, the procedure was not performed as adeptly, and the patients’ medications were not as well optimized as in the new study.” And the story didn’t mention that there’s a third trial, results of which are due to be released soon. What the story also didn’t say is that some physicians are apparently waiting to see the results of all three trials before rendering a verdict. As cardiologist John Mandrola, MD, put it on his blog: What we have then is two randomized trials with conflicting results. That means we don’t know whether the device works, and we need a tie-breaker trial. Fortunately, one is coming soon. The story doesn’t rely on a news release.
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17196
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"Premeditation, in murder cases like the Oscar Pistorius case, ""can be formed in the twinkling of an eye."
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"Grace and Abrams wrangled over the definition of premeditated murder, with Grace arguing, ""premeditation can be formed in the twinkling of an eye."" Location, location, location. Legal experts told us it could in some parts of the United States, but it’s not as likely to meet South Africa’s heightened standards for premeditation. While the definition for what counts as premeditation is not finite, legal precedent shows South African courts are likely to require evidence that proves more planning than a ""spur of the moment"" decision."
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false
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Criminal Justice, Legal Issues, Crime, PunditFact, Nancy Grace,
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"On-air flare-ups between TV pundits trigger our spidey sense here at PunditFact, especially when the hot topic is a murder case gripping the world’s attention. So when Dan Abrams and Nancy Grace got into a spat over the Oscar Pistorius murder trial on Good Morning America, we had to dig in. Pistorius, the paralympian known as ""Blade Runner,"" is accused of murdering his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, by shooting her with expanding bullets through a bathroom door in his home on Feb. 14, 2013. He admitted to shooting her but says it was an accident because he thought she was an intruder. The prosecution presented its case in March, and Pistorius is expected to take the stand when the trial resumes. Abrams and Grace, who are both attorneys, agreed the prosecution brought a strong case for a murder conviction. But they had sharply different takes on whether there was enough evidence to prove the killing of Steenkamp was premeditated. Abrams said, ""I have not heard a single piece of evidence in this case which says this was a premeditated murder."" ""Premeditation requires planning, it requires thought beforehand. That’s very different from just an intentional murder. He’s charged with premeditated murder here. Look, the reality is this judge could decide intentional murder, that’s still a conviction on murder, it’s a slightly lesser sentence than premeditated. But I don’t know why they’ve pursued a premeditated murder case unless there’s some other evidence that’s going to be presented in this case."" Grace’s turn. ""Well, I know why. And it’s a very common misunderstanding about premeditation. Yes, it is intent. Yes, it is planning. But premeditation can be formed in the twinkling of an eye. That quickly."" There was some overtalk, and Grace continued: ""He came and got the gun out of the holster from under her side of the bed. He had to see, he was on his stumps, which he lied about, he had to see she wasn’t in the bed. He then walked into the bathroom and started firing. And they had had an argument. And the argument as you pointed out earlier, Dan, shows motive for anger. And just because you’re angry that does not denigrate premeditation."" Abrams responded: ""But that’s just a misunderstanding of the law. The bottom line is what Nancy is talking about, about what you can form in an instant, is intent. You can create the intent to commit murder in an instant. You cannot create the intent to create premeditation in an instant. And in fact there’s a case in South Africa..."" Grace cut in: ""The intent to create premeditation? Premeditation is simply planning, and you can plan in a moment of minutes."" ""Whoa, so now we’re minutes?"" Abrams said. ""A moment ago you were saying it’s seconds. So the bottom line is premeditation takes time. You have to plan it out."" Grace: ""Yeah, well, it can be seconds according to the law. Go read your law book. Come back to me after you’ve tried a couple murders."" Sorry for the whole transcript, but it’s a fun read. And it’s all crucial to our fact-check. Disses aside, a reader asked if Grace was right that premeditation could occur in ""the twinkling of an eye."" In South Africa, the site of Pistorius’ trial, the answer could mean the difference between Pistorius spending the rest of his life in prison or getting a lighter sentence. (There’s no death penalty, or juries, in South Africa.) To our question here, legal analysts we consulted said deciding to kill someone in the moments before a murder can be considered premeditation in many American jurisdictions. But that does not necessarily apply in the backdrop of Grace’s statement, South African court, where experts point to case law that suggests premeditation requires more of a plan. Could it happen in the U.S.? Pistorius is charged with murder, and prosecutors want to prove it was premeditated because that warrants the stiffest penalty under South African law, life in prison. The legal analysts on TV were essentially arguing about what kind of sentence he will get. Grace, via a HLN spokeswoman, pointed to case law to back up her point involving U.S. Supreme Court decisions and state Supreme Court appeals of murder cases in Montana and Georgia, which say things like ""premeditation may be formed momentarily"" and ""malice aforethought can be formed instantly."" And American law experts say she has a valid point that just seconds could qualify as premeditated in some states. Planning in many American definitions does not require much time and is basically the opposite of impulse, which usually leads to second-degree murder, said Robert Weisberg, a Stanford University law professor and director of the Stanford Criminal Justice Center. But it’s not uniform. ""The drafters of the American Model Penal Code strongly urged the elimination of the premeditation/intent distinction, but few states follow that guidance,"" Weisberg said. So whether premeditation can occur in an instant in America is nuanced depending upon the jurisdiction. ""That might be true in a Georgia court where she practiced law, but it’s not true in a Florida court,"" said Charles Rose, a professor at Stetson University College of Law. South Africa law ≠ U.S. law The more important question: Could it be true in South Africa? What counts as premeditation is an unsettled area of law decided on a case by case basis, said Kelly Phelps, a University of Cape Town Faculty of Law senior lecturer. Still, jurisprudence suggests it takes time. ""What is clear is that crimes of passion in the heat of the moment will not be premeditation,"" Phelps said. ""It is true that as long as a clear thought is formed and executed, even in a few minutes, this could in theory be premeditation, but not if the killing happen on the spur of the moment out of rage."" Some types of murder that would be considered premeditated in the U.S. would not be considered premeditated in South Africa, said Bob Dekle, a retired assistant state attorney who teaches the prosecution clinic at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. In South Africa, murder is defined as the unlawful and intentional killing of another person. There are three different forms of intent that come into play when a judge is determining the length of a sentence. (Memorize the Latin terms like we did and you’ll seem super informed about this case.) Dolus directus, or direct intent. It was your goal to kill someone. Dolus eventualis, or knowing the possible result of your action will kill someone and recklessly going through with it anyway. It’s akin to second-degree murder, Dekle said. Dolus indirectus, or indirect intent. When a person’s death is a substantially certain outcome of your action, such as committing arson and knowing factory workers will die as a result. The judge could also decide the murder was not intentional and find Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide, or an unlawful negligent killing. In that scenario, Pistorius ought to have foreseen the result of shooting through a door but did not, or he should have known Steenkamp was in the bathroom when shooting through the door, said Marius du Toit, a criminal defense attorney in South Africa who is tracking the case. The court would determine how a reasonable person in Pistorius’ situation would have acted that night and compare it to what he did. The bigger takeaway, Dekle said, is South African law has a high standard for premeditation. ""When South African law says premeditation, what they mean is a prior plan to murder,"" Dekle said. ""That’s somewhat similar to our concept of cold, calculated and premeditated"" in Florida. On Good Morning America, Abrams tried to reference a South Africa case, Raath vs. The State, a decision cited alongside discussions of what constitutes premeditation, but Grace cut him off. A High Court revisited the case of a man who made his son open a safe so he could retrieve a revolver, which he used to kill his wife across the street moments later. The court reduced his life sentence to 22 years, arguing the lower court erred in deeming the murder as the result of premeditation. Even though there is no concrete definition for the term, the judge wrote, ""clearly the concept suggests a deliberate weighing up of the proposed criminal conduct as opposed to the commission of the crime on the spur of the moment or in unexpected circumstances."" It is correct that from the moment he appeared to conceive the idea of shooting his wife the appellant brooked no opposition and almost immediately proceeded to carry out the terrible deed. However, this does not, in my view, transform what appears to have been the deadly, but spur of the moment act or acts of a man in an emotional rage, into a planned and premeditated murder. In other words? ""Grace has got it all wrong,"" du Toit, the South African criminal defense attorney, said. ""The period between the forming of the intention and the carrying out of the act is crucial to the test whether premeditation was present. Our courts have said repeatedly that premeditation does not occur on the ‘spur of the moment.’"" The prosecution alleged premeditation in the Pistorius trial to get him to disclose his full version of the events leading up to Steenkamp’s death, du Toit said. Phelps, the law lecturer from South Africa, pointed to several cases, among them State vs. Dyonase, in which the accused killer retaliated to the victim’s previous assault and ransacking of his home by ambushing him as he returned from drinking with another friend and stabbing him to death. The court weighed whether the evidence showed a preconceived design or clear motive, which would prove premeditation. The court ruled the murder was not premeditated, preventing the killer from serving a minimum life sentence. (You can read more cases and Phelps’s commentary in this document.) Our ruling Grace and Abrams wrangled over the definition of premeditated murder, with Grace arguing, ""premeditation can be formed in the twinkling of an eye."" Location, location, location. Legal experts told us it could in some parts of the United States, but it’s not as likely to meet South Africa’s heightened standards for premeditation. While the definition for what counts as premeditation is not finite, legal precedent shows South African courts are likely to require evidence that proves more planning than a ""spur of the moment"" decision. Thanks to our friends at reddit, both in our reddit community and in the /r/law subreddit, for weighing in on this fact-check."
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32475
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A mass ammunition shortage is expected because President Obama and the EPA shut down the Doe Run lead smelting plant
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Rumors about a mass ammunition shortage supposedly caused by a forced closure of the Doe Run Lead Plant are old and inaccurate.
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false
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Politics Guns, ammunition, barack obama, EPA
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In July 2016, an old, debunked e-mail chain asserting that the cost of ammunition was about to skyrocket due to President Obama and the EPA shutting down the last lead smelting plant in the U.S. was recirculated. The lengthy message is largely based off of an article published by Right Wing News in October 2013, which claimed that Obama was employing “back door gun control” by closing the plant and thereby forcing U.S. residents to purchase ammunition from overseas manufacturers: Obama and the EPA just shut down the last lead smelting plant in the US. They raised the EPA regulations by 10 fold and it would have cost the plant $100 million to comply. You can own all the guns you want, but if you can’t get ammo, you are out of luck. The Doe Run Company has shuttered its lead smelting plant, but that action occurred in 2013, had little to do with Obama administration policies, and did not lead to a massive ammunition shortage. The closure of Doe Run Company’s primary lead smelter in Herculaneum, Missouri, was the result of the business’ failure to meet existing air quality standards (set by the EPA in 2008, before Barack Obama took office). Doe Run reached a settlement of the issue with the EPA in 2010 and agreed to close the lead smelting plant by the end of 2013: In 2010, Doe Run reached a comprehensive settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Missouri. As part of that settlement, the Company agreed to discontinue its smelting operations in Herculaneum by the end of 2013. Over the operating life of the smelter, the Company spent millions of dollars in environmental and other upgrades. Continuing to upgrade the aging smelter to attempt to meet the increasingly stringent environmental regulations imposed on primary lead smelters was not economically feasible given the many other requirements of our business. * *In 2008, the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for lead was reduced from 1.5 µg/m3 (micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air) to 0.15 µg/m3. When the closure date (31 December 2013) approached, web sites such as Right Wing News published misleading articles asserting that President Obama and the EPA had colluded to shut down the plant in an effort to limit the availability of ammunition in the U.S. But the closure was driven by air quality regulations established during the presidency of George W. Bush and had nothing to do with Barack Obama or any furtive move on his part to effect “back door gun control.” Additionally, fears about the closure’s effect on the availability of ammunition were vastly overblown. Most manufacturers employ secondary plants that use recycled materials to make ammunition. Primary plants, such as the aforementioned lead smelter in Missouri, use mined resources and typically produce batteries: More than 80 percent of all lead produced in the U.S. is used in either motive batteries to start vehicles, or in stationary batteries for backup power (particular in military, telecom and medical applications). In the U.S., the recycle rate of these batteries is approximately 98 percent, making lead-based batteries the most highly recycled consumer product. These batteries are recycled at secondary lead smelters. We own such a smelter in southern Missouri. Lead is used in numerous other products, including ammunition and construction materials, as well as to protect against radiation in medical and military applications. While most applications can use secondary lead, those applications that require primary lead will need to import the lead metal in the future. Any additional demand for lead (above that which can be met through recycling at secondary smelters) will also have to be met through imports. Several ammunition manufacturers commented on the controversy when it was relevant in 2013. For instance, Sierra (The Bulletsmiths) said that the Doe Run plant’s closure would not affect their business: The main question asked is “Will this shut down your supply of lead?” The answer to that is no. First, Sierra buys lead from several different vendors to maintain constant supply. Second, this facility only smelts primary lead or lead ore. This is lead ore that has just been brought out of the earth. Sierra uses no primary lead at all and never has, so we use nothing directly from this facility. ; The lead we buy from Doe Run comes from their recycling facility in Boss, MO that is about 90 miles away from the smelter that is closing. The facility we buy from is still going strong and delivering to us as scheduled. The lead from this facility is from recycled lead, mostly coming from car batteries. This is a continuing “in and out” cycle for them and the smelter closing will not affect this facility. The National Rifle Association (NRA) also issued a statement noting that “lead usage in ammunition makes up only about three percent of lead consumption in the United States” and that the domestic ammunition industry would survive the closure of the Doe Run lead smelter plant just fine: We previously reported on the closure of the nation’s last primary lead smelter due to tightened EPA standards on ambient air quality. As the date for closure of the smelter approaches, there has been a significant amount of speculation concerning the effect of the smelter’s closure on the availability and price of ammunition. According to the United States Geological Survey, lead usage in ammunition makes up only about three percent of lead consumption in the United States. Lead-acid batteries make up the vast majority of U.S. lead consumption, and these batteries are readily recycled. This recycled lead, which will still be able to be smelted in the United States at secondary smelters even after the Herculaneum smelter closes, is the type most often used by ammunition manufacturers. Speculation about the effect of the Herculaneum smelter’s closure has caused a number of ammunition manufacturers, including Sierra and Federal, to issue public statements on their ability to continue to source lead for ammunition production. As Lawrence Keane, the senior vice president and general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, pointed out to Emily Miller of the Washington Times, ammunition producers have known for some time of the impending closure of the Herculaneum smelter and do not believe that the closure will affect production of lead ammunition components.
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29093
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"E-mailed list features Dave Barry's ""16 Things It Took Me Over 50+ Years to Learn."
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The full text of the original piece has been reproduced on a number of web sites.
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mixture
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Humor, dave barry, e-mail forwards, Laughable Lists
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If we had to come up with a list of “e-mail truisms,” one of the entries would probably something along the lines of: “No list of funny headlines, humorous quips, witty observations, or the like will survive more than five forwardings in its original state.” It may sometimes take more than five forwardings, but “list creep” inevitably seem to works its way into such mailings, with recipients along the chain eventually dropping off some previous entries, adding new ones, and modifying others. The “16 Things It Took Me Over 50+ Years to Learn” list attributed to humorist Dave Barry is a case in point. It originated back in 1997 as Dave Barry’s “25 Things I Have Learned in 50 Years” and has since been pared down to a reordered list of 16 items (some of which were not part of the original, and some of which have been modified) Example: [Collected via e-mail, February 2007] Is this really a Dave Barry column? Funny enough, but something about it doesn’t sound right (esp #16! ); it’s doing the usual “forward-to-all-of-your-friends” route.. 16 Things it took me over 50+ years to learn By: Dave Barry, Nationally Syndicated Columnist 1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative the same night. 2. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be “meetings.” 3. There is a very fine line between “hobby” and “mental illness.” 4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them. 5. You should not confuse your career with your life. 6. Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. (This one is very important.) 7. Never lick a steak knife. 8. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip. 9. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time. 10. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she’s pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment. 11. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 11. 12. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers. 13. A person, who is nice to you, but rude to a waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.) 14. Your friends love you anyway. 15. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic. 16. Thought for the day: Men are like fine wine. They start out as grapes; and it’s up to the women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with. The mutated version has circulated so widely that it is noted in the FAQ on Dave Barry’s web site: Q: Did Dave really write that piece floating around the internet, “16 Things I’ve Learned in 50 Years?”A: Well, he wrote something like it. But it’s been changed during its travels around the world in email, and you can no longer count on anything in it being Dave’s actual work. Q: Why would anyone do such a thing? A: We don’t know. Dropped on their heads at birth, perhaps? The original list, as he wrote it, is called “25 Things I Have Learned in 50 Years” and can be found in the book Dave Barry Turns 50. For the record, entries #1, #7, #15, and #16 included in the version displayed in the “Example” block above were not part of the “25 Things I Have Learned in 50 Years” piece as it appeared in Dave Barry Turns 50, and (contrary to the wording of entry #8) Barry described gossip as being the “most powerful” (not the “most destructive”) force in the universe.
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28072
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Law enforcement officials said parents should be worried about sexual predators using gaming apps such as Fortnite to groom children.
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What's true: Fortnite is among several apps popular among teenagers and children but is also used by would-be sexual predators for the purpose of grooming, New Jersey's Attorney General said in September 2018. What's false: Fortnite was not used by any of the men arrested in a high-profile September 2018 law enforcement crackdown, despite the fact that several news reports about that operation only mentioned Fortnite in their headlines.
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true
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Politics, fortnite
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In September 2018, a New Jersey-based law enforcement operation codenamed “Operation Open House” yielded 24 arrests of men alleged to have attempted to groom children for sex using mobile chat apps. The multi-agency sting operation, which involved state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies and hinged upon undercover officers posing online as underage girls and boys, prompted a widely-shared report by the NJ.com news website which carried the headline “Predators are using Fortnite to lure kids. Cops say parents need to worry”: First, parents worried about their children being approached by predators at grocery stores and on playgrounds. Then the threat moved online via shady profiles on social media. Now, authorities say, some phone apps have opened even more channels of communication between adult predators and minors — including some video games like Fortnite and Minecraft. [I]n announcing the arrests of 24 alleged predators, state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal warned the public that people looking to take advantage of young teens and children have more options to do so than ever due to the ever-developing landscape of internet communication. “It is a frightening reality that sexual predators are lurking on social media, ready to strike if they find a child who is vulnerable,” Grewal said in describing how the 24 suspects were attempting to lure and elicit sex with teenagers. Along with other alarming reports, such as those published by ThatsInappropriate.com and ScaryMommy.com, NJ.com’s article prompted multiple concerned inquiries from readers about the use of gaming apps such as Fortnite by those seeking to groom children for sex. Fortnite was the only app named in the headlines of all three of those articles. In reality, despite its phenomenal popularity, Fortnite was not used by any of the 24 men arrested and charged with attempting to lure children for sex online in New Jersey in September 2018. However, it has been used by other would-be sexual predators in the past, the state Attorney General’s office told us. In an 18 September press release announcing the arrests, the office of Attorney General Gurbir Grewal outlined the basics of Operation Open House and detailed the allegations against the 24 defendants: Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today announced arrests of 24 alleged child predators in “Operation Open House,” a multi-agency undercover operation targeting men who allegedly were using social media in an attempt to lure underage girls and boys for sexual activity. The underage “children” were, in fact, undercover officers. Most of the defendants were arrested when they arrived at a house in Toms River, N.J., where they allegedly expected to find their victim home alone. Instead, they found dozens of law enforcement officers prepared to arrest them and process any evidence seized … The operation was led by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ), the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which is led by the New Jersey State Police, and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. The ICAC Task Force includes the Division of Criminal Justice, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), all 21 County Prosecutors’ Offices, and many other state, county and local law enforcement agencies … All 24 defendants are charged with second-degree luring. Many defendants face additional charges, including second-degree attempted sexual assault on a minor and third-degree attempted debauching the morals of a child. Five men face third-degree charges of attempted sharing obscene materials with a child for allegedly sending photos of their genitals to undercover detectives. The undercover law enforcement members who conducted the chats with the defendants were specially trained members of the ICAC Task Force. The defendants typically initiated contact based on profiles posted on social media platforms by the undercover detectives and agents. The social platforms that were used in these encounters included Kik, Skout, Whisper and Grindr. Once chatting began, the undercover officers clearly identified themselves as underage girls or boys. Despite that information, the defendants allegedly engaged the purported “children” in conversations about sex, and all 24 defendants are alleged to have made arrangements to meet the “children” for sex. The chats were conducted over a period of several weeks leading up to the “meet-up” week when arrests were made. A spokesperson for Attorney General Grewal confirmed to us by email that the only apps used by the 24 defendants arrested in September 2018 were the chatting apps Kik, Scout, Whisper and, Grindr: “None of the 24 defendants used the three gaming apps mentioned (Fortnite, Minecraft or Discord). Those were used by defendants in prior cases. The four listed apps were the only ones used. Gmail was used in one case, and other defendants also texted … ” So Fortnite, which was the focus of several news articles about the Operation Open House arrests, only featured in passing in the Attorney General’s press release, and only in reference to previous grooming investigations and not the one which led to 24 arrests in September 2018: In past cases, the ICAC Task Force has made arrests of alleged child predators who used the following chat apps: Kik, Skout, Grindr, Whisper, Omegle, Tinder, Chat Avenue, Chat Roulette, Wishbone, Live.ly, Musical.ly, Paltalk, Yubo, Hot or Not, Down, and Tumblr. Arrests also have been made involving the gaming apps Fortnite, Minecraft, and Discord. That does not mean parents do not need to be vigilant about their children’s use of gaming apps such as Fortnite and Minecraft. At a press conference announcing the arrests, Grewal highlighted a parental warning produced and shared by his office, which asked parents to become familiar with 19 popular apps, four of which were used by would-be predators in the context of Operation Open House, and the other 15 in previous cases: It’s absolutely critical that parents familiarize themselves with these apps. Just as you are vigilant about a stranger approaching your child in a park, you need to be equally if not more vigilant about the dangers lurking in these new cyber-playgrounds. Make sure that the apps on your children’s devices are age-appropriate. Talk to your children about social media and chat apps like these. Let them know that the people they encounter may not be who they initially seem to be. Warn them not to share personal information or pictures with strangers they encounter on the internet. Only together can we fully ensure the safety and wellbeing of our children. Conclusion According to the New Jersey Attorney General’s office, the gaming apps Fortnite, Minecraft, and Discord are among several apps popular among teenagers and children but also used by would-be sexual predators for the purpose of grooming. Four chatting apps were used by 24 men arrested in September 2018 as part of an undercover sting operation which yielded serious charges including attempted sexual assault. However, Fortnite, Minecraft, and Discord were not used by the 24 men arrested in that particular sweep, despite the fact that several news reports focused heavily on those apps and mentioned only Fortnite in their headlines.
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10525
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Heart attack victim a cool customer
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"This is a story about a commercial method for cooling patients who have suffered cardiac arrest in an attempt to prevent brain damage. The story did not clearly define whom the treatment might benefit or how often the treatment is successful at providing benefit. Yet it found time to quote the CEO of the company making the cooling device. The story reported on one patient who said she ""shouldn’t have made it"" and who related that doctors had told her that if she had not received the treatment she would have been ""dead or brain damaged"". However – the story provided no background information to help readers assess the veracity of these statements; nor did it provide any indication of how often the treatment resulted in the outcomes experienced by this patient. It provided little to help a reader learn more about when the treatment might be considered an appropriate option. Overall, this was a story of high human interest that was lacking in any meaningful discussion of evidence for benefits or harms, a lack of clarity about the population for whom this is intended, and too strong a focus on the product of one specific company. This is the third such story on cooling of cardiac arrest patients that we’ve reviewed so far this year. It appears to be something that local medical centers who use the approach like to promote. We hope that they – and the journalists who cover them – include more evidence in future promotions or news stories."
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false
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"There was no information about the cost of this treatment. The story reported on one patient that by self report ""shouldn’t have made it"" and who related that doctors had told her that if she had not received the treatment she would have been ""dead or brain damaged"". However – the story provided no background information to help readers assess the veracity of these statements; nor did it provide any indication of how often the treatment resulted in the outcomes experienced by this patient. The story did not include mention of any complications or harms associated with this treatment. The complications of cooling include coagulopathy, arrhythmias, hyperglycemia, and increased risk of pneumonia and sepsis. While making mention of vague endorsement by the American Heart Association, the story did not include information about studies demonstrating efficacy of this approach. The story mentioned that Massachusetts General Hospital used this treatment for 12 patients in 2006; it did not mention how many actually survived. Although a dozen heart attack patients seems like a small number of patients for a large metropolitan hospital, the story gave no indication as to why this approach was used for these patients but not for others. Because the story did not clarify whether this treatment was of potential benefit for all people who have a myocardial infaraction or those who have cardiac arrest – it makes it seem like the treatment would help a much larger group of people than it actually does. This is a treatment only for those individuals who suffer cardiac arrest. It is also an example of treatment mongering, including the unsubstantiated claim that this could be ""saving thousands of lives"" – all without any mention of potential problems, harms, or contraindications. The story included quotes from a person in the cardiac intensive care unit at the local hospital where the patient featured in the story was treated. It included information from the CEO of the manufacturer of the medical device used for the treatment. This story should have included information from an independent expert who could have provided some context for the use of this treatment. The story did not mention other devices or approaches for inducing hypothermia in patients ; it also failed to discuss other treatment options for minimizing damage following cardiac arrest. The story discussed the availability of this treatment, indicating that it was available in only some hospitals. The story made clear that the treatment was not new but that it was not widely available. It may be of interest to readers of this website that we reviewed stories on 2/27/2007 from the CBS Evening News and on 3/28/2007 from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on this same treatment. All three stories appear to be prompted by news releases from local medical centers now using the cooling procedure. We can’t be sure if the story relied solely or largely on a news release. It does highlight the story of only one patient at only one Boston hospital."
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2744
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Medigus launches device to treat acid reflux without surgery.
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Israeli medical device maker Medigus expects revenue of a few million dollars in 2014 as it begins to sell its flexible endoscope for the treatment of acid reflux.
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true
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Health News
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Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is caused by abnormal regurgitation of fluids from the stomach into the esophagus. Patients who do not respond to treatment with drugs often undergo laparoscopic surgery. Medigus’ system enables treatment in an outpatient setting with no incisions. Its endoscope - a surgical tool inserted through the mouth - staples the stomach to the wall of the esophagus to close a gap that allows acid to rise up. A tiny video camera on the tip enables physicians to see what they are doing. Ultrasound guides alignment once the tip reaches tissue blocking the view. “We are at the early stage of commercialization. In the medical device world you need to get ... innovators to try the product,” Chris Rowland, an American who took over as chief executive of Medigus in October, told Reuters on Tuesday. By the end of 2014 Medigus expects to have 10 centers in the United States and 10 in Europe performing procedures with its device, which has received U.S. and European regulatory approval. Medigus will focus on commercial expansion in 2016-2017 and expects to be profitable by 2017. Twenty one million Americans have chronic or severe GERD, Rowland said, noting these patients often have to sleep sitting up. The cost of surgery ranges from $18,000 to $25,000 compared with $10,000-$12,000 for the Medigus procedure. The potential U.S. market for its endoscope is 16-17 million patients who have given up on drug therapy but not yet decided on surgery. The United States is about 25 percent of the global market. “By the end of the year it (revenue) will be in the millions of dollar,” Rowland said. Medigus had 1.6 million shekels ($454,000) in revenue in the first nine months of 2013 mainly from its video cameras, some of which are less than 1 mm in size. Rowland said there are many medical and industrial applications for the cameras, including at nuclear reactors and on NASA’s space station. Competitors include the Stretta system made by Mederi Therapeutics that uses radiofrequency energy to remodel muscles in the digestive system. California-based Rowland was brought to Medigus by the OrbiMed healthcare fund, which invested $8 million last year and owns 24 percent. Another 15 percent is held by Johnson & Johnson and Israel’s Dexcel Pharma. Rowland plans to keep development in Israel and move commercial staff to offices in the United States and Austria. ($1 = 3.525 shekels)
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7860
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U.S. economists win Nobel for work on climate change, innovation.
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Americans William Nordhaus and Paul Romer, pioneers in adapting the western economic growth model to focus on environmental issues and sharing the benefits of technology, won the 2018 Nobel Economics Prize on Monday.
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true
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Environment
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In a joint award that turned the spotlight on a rapidly shifting global debate over the impact of climate change, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said the duo’s work was helping to answer basic questions over how to promote long-term, sustainable prosperity. Romer, of New York University’s Stern School of Business, is best known for his work on endogenous growth, a theory rooted in investing in knowledge and human capital. He said he had been taken by surprise by the award, but offered a positive message. “I think one of the problems with the current situation is that many people think that protecting (the) environment will be so costly and so hard that they just want to ignore them,” he told a news conference via telephone. “We can absolutely make substantial progress protecting the environment and do it without giving up the chance to sustain growth.” He told reporters he had long ago decided he would never seek to win the prize because doing so can “tear you apart.” He initially missed the early morning call from Sweden telling him he won before calling back, when he was asked if would accept the prize. “‘I didn’t ever want it, but, yeah, I’ll accept!’” he recalled replying at a separate news conference later at New York University. Hours before the award, the United Nations panel on climate change said society would have to radically alter the way it consumes energy, travels and builds to avoid the worst effects of global warming. The panel declined to comment on Monday’s award. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called climate change a hoax, and last year announced that he would withdraw the United States from a global pact to combat it reached in 2015, calling the deal’s demands for emissions cuts too costly. Nordhaus, a professor of economics at Yale University, was the first person to create a quantitative model that described the interplay between the economy and the climate, the Swedish academy said. “We overslept and when we got up, I got a nice call from my daughter,” Nordhaus told Reuters at his home in New Haven, Connecticut. “She said, ‘Dad, you won. It’s so nice.’ It was a really lovely call. It’s a nice way to find out.” He said he was being honored for his work on carbon tax as a mechanism to reduce global warming. “It was for work on one of the most important problems the globe faces, which is climate change,” he said. “I’ve been working on that for almost 40 years, and the time’s ripe.” Nobel committee chair Per Stromberg told Reuters Monday’s award was honoring research into “two big global questions”: how to deal with the negative effects of growth on the climate and “to make sure that this economic growth leaves prosperity for everyone.” Romer had shown how economic forces govern the willingness of firms to innovate, helping some societies grow many times faster than others. By understanding which market conditions favor the creation of profitable technologies, society can tailor policies to promote growth, the academy said. Romer’s career has taken him outside the academic world. While on leave from the Stern School, he served as chief economist and senior vice president at the World Bank until early this year. His work on endogenous growth theory is not universally admired. Fellow Nobel economics Laureate Paul Krugman told the New York Times in 2013 that too much of it involved “making assumptions about how unmeasurable things affected other unmeasurable things.” Monday’s award of the last of the 2018 Nobels took place less than a month after the 10th anniversary of the collapse of investment bank Lehman Brothers. That triggered an economic crisis from which the world’s financial system is arguably still recovering. Interest rates remain at or close to record lows in many major economies, including Sweden, where they have languished below zero since early 2015. Worth 9 million Swedish crowns ($1 million), the economics prize was established in 1968. It was not part of the original group of five awards set out in Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel’s 1895 will. The physiology/medicine, physics, chemistry and peace prizes were awarded last week. This year’s proceedings have been overshadowed by the absence of the literature prize, postponed to give the Swedish Academy time to restore public trust after a sexual assault scandal. Nobel laureates graphic tmsnrt.rs/2y6ATVW
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23982
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"Greg Abbott Says the EPA ""outsourced the scientific basis for its greenhouse gas regulation to a scandal-plagued international organization that cannot be considered objective or trustworthy."
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Attorney General Abbott says EPA's endangerment finding based on outsourced science from scandal-plagued group
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false
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Environment, Energy, Legal Issues, Texas, Greg Abbott,
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"Greg Abbott, the Texas attorney general seeking re-election this year, announced a state challenge in February to a judgment that greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide endanger the health of Americans. At a Feb. 16 press conference, Abbott also said the Environmental Protection Agency, which issued the endangerment finding, ""outsourced the scientific basis for its greenhouse gas regulation to a scandal-plagued international organization that cannot be considered objective or trustworthy."" We saw his statement in a press release issued that day by Gov. Rick Perry, who attended the news conference with Abbott. We wondered if Abbott's salvo, echoed at an April forum by a delegate for Perry's campaign, accurately captured the EPA’s approach. Some background: The EPA’s finding, issued in December, came out after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that greenhouse gases are air pollutants covered by the federal Clean Air Act and that the agency must determine whether or not emissions of greenhouse gases from new motor vehicles cause or contribute to air pollution which may endanger public health or welfare. The EPA said its scientific conclusions were based on work by three groups: the U.S. Global Climate Research Program, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the National Research Council, which synthesize thousands of studies, conveying a consensus on what scientific literature shows about climate, according to the agency. ""No other source of information provides such a comprehensive and in-depth analysis across such a large body of scientific studies, adheres to such a high and exacting standard of peer review, and synthesizes the resulting consensus view of a large body of scientific experts across the world,"" the agency said. ""For these reasons, the (EPA) administrator is placing primary and significant weight on these assessment reports in making her decision on endangerment."" The report adds that EPA scientists previously gave ""significant input"" to the groups. The state’s 38-page petition for the EPA to reconsider its finding says that rather than do its own assessment, the agency's ""administrator outsourced the actual scientific study, as well as her required review of the scientific literature necessary to make that assessment."" ""That is, EPA’s conclusion depended on summaries of existing reports that were provided by third parties,"" the petition states, ""rather than on an analysis that was within EPA’s own quality control."" Also, the petition says, the groups that the EPA cites for scientific back-up interweave; two have quoted the third, which is misidentified in Abbott's petition as the United Nations International—it’s actually Intergovernmental—Panel on Climate Change, which we delve into below. First, we tried to ask the EPA about the outsourcing descriptive. Spokeswoman Catherine Milbourn pointed us to an EPA website that calls the science behind greenhouse gas pollution ""settled""; it says too the finding drew upon the works of ""highly respected, peer-reviewed sources"" around the globe plus hundreds of thousands of public comments. So the EPA acknowledges leaning on others' existing research, which it considers tip-top sound. What of the second part of Abbott’s statement--that EPA leaned on a scandal-plagued international organization that cannot be considered objective or trustworthy? He’s referring to the Geneva-based IPCC, which became the leading international body for the assessment of climate change after its formation more than 20 years ago by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization to ""provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic consequences,"" the panel says online. In 2007, the panel shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore, the former vice president with a long interest in global warming. The Norweigan Nobel Committee said the panel created ""an ever-broader informed consensus about the connection between human activities and global warming. Thousands of scientists and officials from over 100 countries have collaborated to achieve greater certainty as to the scale of the warming."" Its 2007 review of research, cited by the EPA, was its latest look at climate science over all. Another is due in 2014. The Fox News Channel has reported that the panel's ""reputation for accuracy and fairness, to a large degree, was responsible for building a consensus around the world that global warming was both real and a potentially devastating phenomenon largely caused by man."" Of late, however, the panel has drawn fire, mainly from skeptics that the planet is rapidly heating. The latest outcry emerged after e-mails surfaced last year involving scientists including researchers at the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, many of whom have participated in IPCC work. The e-mail back story (detailed by PolitiFact here): On Nov. 20, more than 1,000 e-mails and 3,000 documents came to light. Dating as far back as March 1996, they include exchanges between scientists indicating shaky practices, intentions to withhold public information and even, in one instance, a desire to punch a critic. Over all, though, the Pew Center on Global Climate Change found the e-mails largely routine and innocuous, writing: ""Although a small percentage of the e-mails are impolite and some express animosity toward opponents, when placed into proper context they do not appear to reveal fraud or other scientific misconduct."" In December, PolitiFact rated False a statement by Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, saying the hacked e-mails debunked the science behind climate change. At a hearing, Inhofe later asked Lisa Jackson, the EPA’s administrator, about the agency leaning on flawed science from the IPCC. Jackson disagreed the panel was discredited, according to video posted online by C-SPAN. ""It’s important to understand that the IPCC is a body, that it follows impartial and open and objective assessments,"" she said. The state's petition for reconsideration mentions the e-mails, noting that Phil Jones, director of the Anglia-based climate research center, was the lead author of the IPCC's 2007 report's ""Summary for Policy Makers,"" and his research is cited 39 times (in 21 chapters) in the panel's report. The petition says the Anglia center is the primary provider of temperature readings used in the IPCC report. So what? So, the state says, the panel's conclusions are flawed because they rely on data from scientists with an agenda, some of them exposed in the e-mails. ""Dr. Jones and his colleagues were far from objective,"" the petition states. ""To the contrary, there is overwhelming evidence of outcome-oriented conduct that severely undermines the objectivity of their scientific research."" The petition specifies scientists whose impartiality the attorney general questions. To plumb Abbott's point, we reviewed news and opinion articles about the panel and its 2007 report shared by his office. Some highlights: The report misstates the year by which Himalayan glaciers are expected to melt (an error, for which the panel offered a correction this year, that looks like a typo); incorrectly overstates how much of Holland rests below sea level; doesn't support an assertion that global warming could soon cut rain-fed north African crop production in half; and includes a statement about rain forests in South America shrinking for lack of rain that might not be proving out. Broadly, critics including some American scientists have called for the panel to open its next report to doubts about the science and to scientists who point out uncertainties. Separately, an arm of the United Nations agreed in February to review the panel; a report is expected in August. Achim Steiner, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council, was quoted in The Telegraph newspaper saying the IPCC faced a crisis of public confidence. Amid the hubbub, there's no sign of nations forsaking the panel. Two leading British and American scientists have been among onlookers to stress that nothing has undermined the panel's 2007 conclusion that human activities are almost certainly contributing to global warming. Robert Watson, environment minister for the British government and a former head of the IPCC, was quoted by The Telegraph saying: ""It is concerning that these mistakes have appeared in the IPCC report, but there is no doubt the earth’s climate is changing and the only way we can explain those changes is primarily human activity."" Ralph Cicerone, president of the National Academies of Science and chairman of the National Research Council, wrote in Science magazine that the exposed e-mails ""raised concern about the standards of science and has damaged public trust in what scientists do."" Yet his ""reading of the vast scientific literature on climate change is that our understanding is undiminished by this incident."" Later, Cicerone was quoted telling scientists they need to redouble their efforts to share the implications of climate change with the public. ""A lot of what we need to do,"" he said, ""is translate basic information into terms the public can understand."" At the same meeting, Jerry North, a professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, was quoted saying there ""has been no change in the scientific community"" in the consensus that global average temperatures have been steadily climbing since the mid-20th century. John Nielson-Gammon, the Texas state climatologist, recently told us he believes about 95 percent of what the panel concludes. ""It’s probably as good as it gets in terms of a comprehensive analysis done by scientists of a comprehensive... far-reaching issue,"" he said. ""If you're going to rely on something external, that’s the document to rely upon."" Where does all this leave Abbott's statement? True, instead of producing on its own research, the EPA instead relied on the work of three other entities. But calling it ""outsourcing"" is highly misleading because it suggests the agency was shirking its duties. It wasn't. In choosing to use the work of those agencies, particularly the IPCC, the EPA was relying on a large international group of scientists that has reached consensus from thousands of studies. That's a far more comprehensive review than anything the EPA could have done. Abbott also overreaches saying the panel is scandal-plagued and can't be considered objective or trustworthy. Yes, the stolen e-mails have raised questions about a small number of scientists, but the e-mails have not undercut the validity of the panel's main findings. Bottom line: There's a small bit of truth in Abbott's claim, the part that the EPA is relying on outsiders. But his statement is misleading because he implies the EPA has shirked its duties when in fact it is relying on three groups that have synthesized thousands of scientific studies -- almost certainly far more work than the EPA could ever do itself. And yes, the e-mails have raised questions about the work of a clutch of scientists, but they have not put a significant dent in conclusions reached by the IPCC."
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29254
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The governor of Rhode Island signed an executive order allowing the federal government to confiscate people's firearms.
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As ever, the thorniest problems in a free society often come down to balancing individual rights against the public good. How many children must die before we find a solution to gun violence? Which of our rights, if any, would we be willing to give up to do so?
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false
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Politics Guns, conservative daily post, Conservative Unite, gina raimondo
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On 26 February 2018, Governor Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island signed an executive order instructing state police to promptly respond to and investigate credible “red flag reports” identifying people who pose “significant danger of personal injury to themselves or others” in the state. The order further directs police, in cases where probable cause is found, to initiate criminal proceedings or arrange mental health evaluation where appropriate, as well as to “remove firearms from the person and/or the person’s household.” Despite stipulating that all of the above must be done in a manner “consistent with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations,” the order to remove firearms was characterized by some as a “dictatorial” confiscation of guns by the government. In an article headlined “R.I. Governor Signs Executive Order To Seize Guns,” for example, the Conservative Daily Post web site reported: Rhode Island’s Democratic Governor signed an executive order allowing the federal government to seize firearms from the homes of individuals they deem are dangerous. Gina Raimondo’s overreaching order allows law enforcement officers to take guns away from those in “red flag” cases. The measure, which satisfies just about everything on gun-grabbers’ wish list, claims the government is legally allowed to determine which citizens should or should not have the right to bear arms. Many would agree that a person with a mental illness should not have a gun, but Raimondo’s executive order allows for the Rhode Island government to determine which individuals can have a gun. That description of the document is wildly inaccurate, however. For one thing, the order does not contain language “allowing the federal government to seize firearms.” Nothing in the order applies to the federal government at all; it is directed at the Rhode Island State Police. Moreover, despite instructing the state police to do so, the executive order doesn’t by itself give them the legal authority to confiscate the weapons of those deemed “dangerous,” as the Providence Journal pointed out on the day of its signing: The “Red Flag Executive Order,” which Raimondo signed at Warwick City Hall surrounded by gun-control advocates and police officers, may turn out to be mostly symbolic. A change in state law is required to give the courts and police the authority to seize firearms from people they believe are dangerous. Just such legislation has been introduced in the General Assembly and is co-sponsored by fellow Democrat House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello. In a public statement, Raimondo said her intention was to put a policy in place that “sets the stage for a complementary legislative effort.” That effort has already resulted in H 7688, a bill introduced in the Rhode Island General Assembly that would provide a legal framework for the policy similar to those established by the five states that have already red flag laws. According to the legislature’s press release, the bill creates an “’extreme risk protective order’ which would allow authorities to disarm threatening individuals while also providing them due process”: Under the bill, police, the attorney general or a family or household member of an individual could petition Superior Court for an extreme risk protection order if they believe the individual poses a significant danger of causing injury to himself or others by having a firearm. The petitioner must give an affidavit stating the specific statements, actions, or facts that give rise to a reasonable fear of future dangerous acts by that individual. A judge would determine whether to issue one, considering any recent acts or threats of violence with or without a firearm and patterns of such threats or acts in the previous year, and the individual’s mental health, substance abuse and criminal histories. The court would also consider any unlawful, threatening, or reckless use or brandishing of a firearm by the individual and evidence of any recent acquisition of a firearm. Court hearings to determine whether to issue an extreme risk protective order must be held within 21 days, but in the meantime, the petitioner can request a temporary extreme risk protective order, similar to a temporary restraining order, which would be issued within a day if the court agrees that there is probable cause to believe the individual poses an imminent threat to others or himself if armed. When an individual is served with the order, he or she must immediately hand over all firearms and any concealed carry permit in his or her possession to police or a licensed gun dealer. The order would be reported to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) and all state and federal lists used for determining whether those seeking to purchase guns have been prohibited from doing so. Far from empowering the government to arbitrarily decide “which individuals can have a gun” and conduct wholesale confiscations, the legislation establishes court procedures for demonstrating probable cause so that a dangerous individual can be disarmed. The legislators say their intent is to provide a “speedy but fair” process. Theoretically, such a law could prevent mass shootings such as the one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that resulted in seventeen deaths in February 2018. The accused shooter was known to have engaged in hate speech, made violent threats, displayed a fascination with assault weapons, and “joked” with online acquaintances about killing people. “[A] gun violence restraining order could have made the difference here,” Garen Wintemute, director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at UC Davis Medical Center, told the Bay Area News Group shortly after the Florida attack. The red flag laws already enacted by states such as California, Washington, Oregon, and Indiana haven’t been in effect long enough to assess how well they work, although a study conducted in Connecticut, which has had such a law since 1999, showed that at least 72 gun suicides have been prevented since its passage. Despite winning the support of the state Police Chiefs Association, Gov. Raimondo’s executive order and the complementary legislation prompted an expression of “great concern” on the part of the American Civil Liberties Union. However, the issues they raised had nothing directly to do with gun confiscation, but rather with the question of due process for people who have not committed a crime: Gun violence is a deeply serious problem deserving of a legislative response, but not, Minority Report-like, at the expense of basic due process for individuals whose crimes are speculative, not real. The precedent it creates could reverberate in unexpected and distressing ways in years to come.
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16539
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"Greg Abbott was ""charged with overseeing the state cancer research fund. But he let his wealthiest donors take tens of millions of taxpayer dollars without proper oversight. They showered Abbott with gifts and free vacations."
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"Davis said Abbott was ""charged with overseeing the state cancer research fund. But he let his wealthiest donors take tens of millions of taxpayer dollars without proper oversight. They showered Abbott with gifts and free vacations."" There’s something here, but Davis leaves out substantive details. Abbott was on a big committee created to oversee institute awards though he designated an aide to act in his stead, not once attending. Also unsaid is that Abbott’s office helped Travis County’s investigation leading to an institute staff member’s indictment; the local district attorney also said committee members weren’t suspected of wrongdoing. A major Abbott donor gave three trips, valued at more than $250 each, to Abbott’s family, but contrary to the ad’s message, that isn’t the same as all the campaign donors connected to institute grants showering Abbott with gifts and free vacations. The statement is partially accurate but leaves out important details or takes things out of context."
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mixture
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Ethics, Health Care, Public Health, State Budget, Texas, Wendy Davis,
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"In a TV ad unveiled Aug. 23, 2014, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Wendy Davis suggested sinister ties between her Republican opponent and a scandal-tinged Texas agency that funds cancer research. In the spot, a Fort Worth man identified as cancer survivor Manuel Alvarado says: ""When you’re battling cancer, you pray for a cure. But Greg Abbott did his best to keep my prayers from being answered."" Abbott, Alvarado says, ""was charged with overseeing the state cancer research fund. But he let his wealthiest donors take tens of millions of taxpayer dollars without proper oversight. They showered Abbott with gifts and free vacations and and they made off with money that was meant to find a cure."" Davis, a Fort Worth state senator, has previously sought to implicate Abbott, the state attorney general, in the scandal that two years ago engulfed the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. In May 2014, according to an Austin American-Statesman news story, she maintained that Abbott campaign donors also were investors in companies that received improperly-vetted institute grants. Jerry Strickland, Abbott’s state spokesman, countered that the attorney general’s office had been involved in an investigation leading to the 2013 Travis County indictment of Gerald ""Jerry"" Cobbs, a former institute executive involved in awarding an $11 million grant to Peloton Therapeutics even though the biotech startup had not gone through the necessary outside scientific review. Cobbs awaits trial. So, was Abbott charged with overseeing the anti-cancer fund? Did he let campaign donors take tens of millions in taxpayer dollars? And did the donors shower him with gifts and vacations? Abbott and the anti-cancer institute Per the 2007 law setting up the institute, its governing body, or oversight committee, consisted of nine appointed members plus the attorney general or the attorney general’s designee and the state comptroller or the comptroller’s designee. Starting in 2009, that committee had the unprecedented job of awarding millions of dollars to cancer-related projects after Texas voters approved the issuance of $3 billion in bonds over 10 years ""to fund groundbreaking cancer research and prevention programs and services in Texas,"" the institute says on its website. The 2013 Legislature, reacting to red flags including grants being bestowed despite scientific misgivings, shrank the oversight committee. Its nine members would continue to be appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and Texas House speaker, but the revised law lifted the mandate that the attorney general and state comptroller or respective designees serve, according to a July 2013 Senate Research Center summary of the changes. Also new: Anyone named to the panel must disclose to the institute each political contribution to a candidate for a state or federal office over $1,000 made by the person in the five years preceding the person's appointment and each year after the person's appointment until the person's term expired, with the institute posting a summary each year, the center wrote. To our inquiry, a Davis spokesman, Zac Petkanas, said the Democrat’s August ad was based on news stories and editorials. Among the stories, a May 11, 2013, account in the Dallas Morning News said Abbott hadn’t attended any of the board’s 23 meetings to that date. By email, Strickland told us Abbott never cast a committee vote on a ""grant, nor was he involved in any grant request, review or award."" The News story quoted Abbott saying that picking a high-ranking state assistant to take his place ""allowed me to retain the independence to take action to respond to any broader challenges posed by CPRIT."" Strickland told us Abbott’s designee on the committee, James ""Jay"" Dyer, voted like other board members at meetings he attended though he also was unaware of issues surrounding grants that came into question because they were due to ""misconduct, mismanagement and disclosure failures"" by the institute’s senior staff, Strickland said. In December 2012, the attorney general’s office announced it was looking into institute operations. Strickland told us a forensics unit in the office helped Travis County’s investigation by recovering deleted emails and data files that institute staff claimed had been lost. ""Because the matter investigated by this office in conjunction with the Public Integrity Unit is currently the subject of an ongoing prosecution,"" Strickland said, ""our investigation is not closed and we cannot comment further on this matter."" In January 2013, after Travis County began the inquiry that led to the institute executive’s indictment, the county's district attorney, Rosemary Lehmberg, said committee members (presumably including Abbott) ""are not under suspicion in the investigation,"" the Statesman said in a news story at the time. But Lehmberg did not clear the whole institute, saying ""we are far from finished in our efforts."" By that day, the story said, three top executives had resigned and left the cancer-fighting agency. The institute and Abbott donors News stories cited by Davis have pointed out major donors to Republican candidates with connections to entities that received institute awards, though we saw no stories indicating millions of dollars went directly to Abbott donors. According to the 2013 News’ story, on June 18, 2010, the institute oversight committee ratified the $11 million award to Peloton Therapeutics, described as using laboratory discoveries at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center to try to develop anti-cancer drugs. That grant was given without the required business or scientific review, the story said, and with Abbott’s designee absent from the meeting. The News reported that three committee members who ratified the award to Peloton had contributed $150,000 since 2002 to Abbott’s campaigns. Among them: Charles Tate, a Houston investor who had ponied up $140,000 to Abbott’s campaigns, the paper said. Of that, the story said, Tate contributed $100,000 in November 2012, which would have been about three weeks before Abbott’s office announced its institute probe. The newspaper said at least one Peloton investor also had Abbott ties. Dallas philanthropist Peter O’Donnell, one of Peloton’s financial backers, had contributed $130,000 to Abbott’s campaigns since 2001, the story said. O’Donnell earlier said he invested in Peloton in July 2011, more than a year after the oversight committee ratified the award, the paper reported. O’Donnell was connected to another spotlighted institute grant. In January 2013, the Texas state auditor, John Keel, issued an audit raising questions about the agency's biggest grant, $25.2 million awarded in June 2010 to the Statewide Clinical Trials Network of Texas, CTNeT, which was created to speed clinical trials of cancer drugs, the Houston Chronicle reported at the time. The Chronicle said the grant's ""receiving agent"" was Carolyn Bacon Dickson, executive director of the O'Donnell Foundation, tied to Peter O'Donnell. Keel said in the audit that like the grant to Peloton, the award to CTNeT was bestowed despite the absence of a favorable recommendation by peer scientists. Around the time of the state audit, CTNeT ceased operations after the institute cut off its funding, according to a Jan. 29, 2013, Statesman news story. The Davis campaign suggested another nefarious -- though indirect -- connection to the CTNeT grant. Steve Hicks of Austin, who has donated $193,000 to Abbott’s campaigns, according to a March 1, 2014, news story in the San Antonio Express-News, is executive chairman of Capstar Partners, an investment firm where a partner, John Cullen, was described in a July 2011 institute foundation report as a member of CTNeT’s board of directors. (Our check of state records showed Cullen, identified as manager of Mood Media Consulting, gave $1,000 to Abbott’s kitty Sept. 26, 2013.) Petkanas mentioned another Abbott backer with an institute connection. A July 27, 2013, Chronicle news story said San Antonio businessman James Leininger, described as donating $289,000 to Abbott’s campaigns since 2001, had a biotechnology company, Caliber Biotherapuetics, that received $12 million from the institute to carry out a proposal despite receiving low scores from reviewers. According to a Nov. 2, 2011, publication on the institute’s website, the institute approved a $12.8 million grant for the company, based in Bryan-College Station, to tap hydroponic plants to devise a better antibody therapy against two types of cancer. Caliber Biotherapeutics isn’t Leininger’s company. But it lists as its sole institutional investor Medcare Investment Funds, which on its website lists Leininger as its founder. When we called Nashville-based Medcare, the person who answered the phone said Leininger continues to be involved, though she declined to elaborate or to be identified before referring us to a San Antonio telephone number where our request for detail didn’t generate information. To our telephone and email inquiries, Caliber Biotherapeutics and Leininger each offered no comment. Shower of gifts, vacations? By email, Petkanas initially told us Leininger was the campaign’s example of gifts and travel showered on Abbott by donors with a stake in entities that drew grants from the institute. The 2014 Express-News story said Leininger had paid for Abbott and his family’s travel and accommodations three times between 2008 and 2010, according to Abbott’s state-filed personal financial statements. Every state official must report any gift worth more than $250. We confirmed the described Leininger-funded trips (one each in 2008, 2009 and 2010) from Abbott’s filings; none of the entries called the listed trip a vacation while Abbott’s camp didn’t immediately reply when we asked if the gifted trips were vacations. Hicks -- the investor whose firm’s partner, Cullen, was a CTNeT board member -- joined with his wife, Donna, in giving Abbott a travel guide membership in 2009, Abbott reported. Our ruling Davis said Abbott was ""charged with overseeing the state cancer research fund. But he let his wealthiest donors take tens of millions of taxpayer dollars without proper oversight. They showered Abbott with gifts and free vacations."" There’s something here, but Davis leaves out substantive details. Abbott was on a big committee created to oversee institute awards though he designated an aide to act in his stead, not once attending. Also unsaid is that Abbott’s office helped Travis County’s investigation leading to an institute staff member’s indictment; the local district attorney also said committee members weren’t suspected of wrongdoing. A major Abbott donor gave three trips, valued at more than $250 each, to Abbott’s family, but contrary to the ad’s message, that isn’t the same as all the campaign donors connected to institute grants showering Abbott with gifts and free vacations. The statement is partially accurate but leaves out important details or takes things out of context."
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5663
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Rebel attacks in eastern Congo kill several Ebola responders.
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Rebels killed four Ebola response workers in an overnight ambush in eastern Congo, the World Health Organization said Thursday, warning that the attack will give the waning outbreak new momentum in what has been called a war zone.
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true
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AP Top News, International News, General News, Africa, Health, United Nations, Ebola virus
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“We are heartbroken that our worst fears have been realized,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. It was by far the deadliest such attack in the second-worst Ebola outbreak in history, the United Nations health agency said. The dead included a member of a vaccination team, two drivers and a police officer. Many of the six others wounded were with Congo’s health ministry. Mai-Mai fighters attacked a camp housing scores of aid workers overnight in Biakato, local official Salambongo Selemani told The Associated Press. Warnings had been posted demanding that the health workers leave or face “the worst,” Selemani said. The other attack targeted an Ebola response coordination office in Mangina, WHO said. Allied Democratic Forces rebels are to blame, Beni territory administrator Donat Kasereka Kibwana said. WHO’s emergencies director Dr. Mike Ryan, however, said neither the attackers’ identities nor their motivation had been confirmed but it was “unmistakably a directed attack at the response.” More than 100 WHO staffers and other aid workers were evacuated. This is not the first time that health workers trying to contain the outbreak have been targeted. Overall, health workers and infrastructure have been attacked 386 times with seven people killed and 77 wounded, Ryan said. Some have called this outbreak more complicated than any other. Several rebel groups are active in the region, and local officials say some believe Ebola is nothing but a political ploy. “Imagine, a doctor leaves home in the U.S. or elsewhere to come sleep in a tent to help save us from this scourge of Ebola and yet poorly educated young people want to attack him. ... It is very deplorable,” said Fiston Kamango, a youth leader in Biakato. The latest attacks come after days of deadly unrest in the city of Beni, where residents outraged by repeated rebel attacks stormed the local U.N. peacekeeping base, demanding more protection. WHO evacuated 49 of its staffers there, leaving 71 in place. The United States, Britain, Canada and Switzerland on Thursday issued a joint statement condemning the “senseless acts of violence” by armed groups and appealing for calm while saying they understood the local frustrations. Ebola response work was put on lockdown in Beni, dismaying health experts who say every attack hurts crucial efforts to contain the deadly virus. Most of the recent new cases have been reported in the newly targeted communities of Biakato, Mangina and Beni. “The last strongholds of the virus were in these areas,” WHO’s Ryan said. He called working conditions in the remote areas difficult at the best of times. The number of cases had been dropping in the yearlong outbreak which has killed more than 2,100 people and was declared a rare global health emergency earlier this year. Several days this month, zero cases were reported. Just seven cases were reported in the past week, WHO said. Cases have surged after previous attacks on health workers and facilities. “Ebola was retreating. These attacks will give it force again,” the WHO chief said. In one example of how any pause can sharply affect Ebola containment efforts, WHO has said no one in Beni could be vaccinated against the virus on Monday. The health agency previously could trace more than 90% of contacts of infected people in the city but now that figure is just 17%, a U.N. spokesman said Tuesday. Residents accuse Congolese and U.N. forces of not doing enough to protect civilians from the rebels who fight for control of the region’s vast mineral wealth. The ADF alone is blamed for the murders of more than 1,500 people in and around Beni in the past four years. The latest rebel attack outside Beni killed 19 people, the U.N. said Wednesday. After an emergency meeting Monday, President Felix Tshisekedi decided to allow joint operations between Congolese and U.N. forces in Beni following the protests that also burned the town hall. Far from the capital, Kinshasa, some traumatized residents in the densely populated border region near Uganda and Rwanda are wary of outsiders, further complicating the Ebola containment work in a part of Congo that had never recorded the virus before. Despite two promising new Ebola vaccines, health workers continue to battle misinformation and reluctance to seek treatment for the virus that is largely spread via close contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, including the dead. In addition, many local health workers have been recruited by the “well-paying” Ebola response, leading to shortages of trained people to deal with other serious health issues such as an even deadlier measles outbreak and malaria, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders said in a statement. ___ Anna reported from Johannesburg. ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa
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1002
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From poo to food: Kenyan toilet waste key for new animal feed.
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Kenyan farmer Victor Kyalo’s chickens have doubled the number of eggs they are laying. The reason: Human excrement.
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true
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Environment
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He is feeding them food from a Nairobi-based organics recycling company. Sanergy harvests waste from toilets it operates in a franchise network in Nairobi’s sprawling slums and feeds it to fly larvae, which become high-quality animal feed. Kyalo says his customers have noticed the difference in the past three weeks: yellower yolks and larger eggs. “Before we were getting like five trays (of eggs) per day, but now we are getting 10,” Kyalo said. “It’s kind of perfect for me.” As the world looks to feed 10 billion mouths by 2050, businesses harvesting insects — either for human consumption or as animal feed — are growing. They promote themselves as a greener alternative to traditional feed such as soybeans, whose cultivation can lead to deforestation and the overuse of farm chemicals. Fast food giant McDonald’s and U.S. agricultural powerhouse Cargill Inc are among many large companies studying using insects for chicken feed to reduce reliance on soy protein in the $400 billion-a-year animal feed business. By 2023 the global edible insect market could triple to $1.2 billion from current levels, market research firm Meticulous Research said last year. In developing countries like Kenya, where the World Bank says nearly two-thirds of urbanites live in slums, feeding waste to fly larvae could solve both sanitation and nutrition problems. Faeces from more than two-thirds of Nairobi’s inhabitants go untreated because there are not enough toilets. Many others are not cleaned out regularly, Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company said. During the rains, they often overflow, polluting local waterways. That can make workers ill. Days off slow Kenya’s economy by around 1% annually, its Health Ministry said. David Auerbach co-founded Sanergy eight years ago to deal with sanitation. The waste management franchise provides more than 2,500 toilets to 100,000 people daily. Lilian Mbusia runs one of Sanergy’s franchises, charging residents of Mukuru Kwa Ruben slum in the south of the city 5 Kenyan shillings (5 U.S. cents) to use her blue “Fresh Life” toilets. Nestled beneath her squat-toilets are small blue barrels that, once full, are sealed and taken to an organics recycling factory in Machakos County, a bumpy 40-minute drive outside the city. Beds of writhing black soldier fly larvae feast on a mix of excrement and food waste from hotels and agri-businesses. That produces two products for farmers: fertilizer and animal feed. In 10 days the larvae munch their way through 70% of the waste, leaving behind a manure laden with nitrogen and calcium, which becomes organic fertilizer. Once the recycling plant is expanded later this year, Auerbach said it will provide 400 tonnes of fertilizer. Larvae production will ratchet up from 7 tonnes to 300 tonnes per month. “Right now we are receiving equity debt, and grant investment to scale up operations,” Auerbach said. “We’re on track for profitability by the end of 2020.” The plump white larvae are boiled in hot water to kill off pathogens, Michael Lwoyelo, managing director of Sanergy, said. The larvae are then sold to animal feed millers, who grind them into powder mixed with other ingredients to create a balanced diet for poultry, pigs and fish. Frederick Wangombe, an animal nutritionist at Unifeed, a Kenyan animal feed miller that uses Sanergy’s black soldier fly product, envisages it replacing fish meal from Lake Victoria, which can contain sand and other impurities, or expensive soy beans from Zambia. “The egg farmer doesn’t want to know what’s in the feed, they want to know the performance,” he said. ($1 = 101.1000 Kenyan shillings)
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7603
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Italy nursing home ravaged by virus discloses 300 dead.
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Italy’s biggest nursing home defended the measures it took to protect residents and staff from the coronavirus Wednesday amid a criminal investigation and family outrage over 300 deaths from January to April.
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true
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Criminal investigations, Italy, International News, General News, Health, Nursing homes, Virus Outbreak, Europe
|
Officials representing the Pio Albergo Trivulzio home in Milan denied claims from staff that management told them not to wear masks for fear of spooking residents. They said they followed guidelines at the time requiring masks only for symptomatic patients. The Trivulzio is just one of many nursing homes under investigation for the hundreds of dead during Italy’s outbreak, which overwhelmed the health care system in the north. But its size and history have made it a target of the Italian media and turned it into a symbol of the horrific toll the virus has had on residents of eldercare facilities. The Trivulzio’s scientific consultant, Dr. Fabrizio Pregliasco, provided the first comprehensive response to the scandal during an online news conference in which he disclosed that 300 residents had died in the first four months of the year. But he said the 61% increase in deaths compared to the previous five-year average was “sadly, painfully” in line with the trend in Milan itself. He said that by some estimates nursing home dead in Europe account for some 40% of all COVID-19 victims. Of the 900 residents currently in the facility, 34% are positive. Pregliasco said 8.6% of staff is currently positive and 11% appear to have developed antibodies based on blood tests. Attorney Vinicio Nardo said the facility, like other nursing homes, was “left outside the priority flow” of protective equipment by the government which instead prioritized outfitting hospital personnel. He questioned whether prosecutors will be able to ascertain a causal link between the deaths and the home’s management given the many uncertainties of when and how the virus first entered the facility. He noted that Trivulzio only obtained test kits April 16. “I believe the institute will be able to demonstrate that it took all risk-prevention measures necessary,” he said. The Trivulzio scandal erupted last month when La Repubblica newspaper reported claims by a whistleblower and unions representing health care workers. Relatives of some of the Trivulzio residents have formed a committee that is gathering evidence for prosecutors and demanding the government appoint a commissioner to run the facility while the criminal investigation proceeds. Pregliasco and Nardo were asked about the effects of two regional government decrees on patient infections, including one March 8 that designated nursing homes as places where hospital patients could recover to free up COVID-19 beds. Trivulzio accepted 17 such patients, all were declared virus-free by the hospital that sent them and were monitored in isolation once they arrived, Pregliasco said. Seven later died. Another regional decree March 30 told nursing home directors to not send residents over age 75 to hospitals if they had other health problems. Pregliasco said the facility sent a total of 44 residents to the hospital from February to April, and said some were admitted and some were sent back. “None of the positives came back,” he said. ___ Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
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3238
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Milan hospital displays X-rays of women attacked by men.
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A Milan hospital is exhibiting X-rays of women attacked by men to highlight what one doctor calls the “daily horror” of violence against women.
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true
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Health, General News, Violence, International News, Milan, Domestic violence, Europe
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The San Carlo Hospital mounted the exhibit in its atrium to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which takes place on Monday. Patients’ anonymity was respected in putting the five X-rays on display, including one showing the large blade of a knife lodged in a woman’s abdomen. Other X-rays show fractured limbs, including a shin bone broken in two. For the show’s inauguration on Thursday, Dr. Maria Grazia Vantadori, a hospital surgeon and liaison for women suffering violence from husbands, boyfriends, family members or acquaintances, noted that some patients don’t at first consider themselves domestic violence victims. “Often the women who come to the emergency room, not knowing how to label what happened to them, don’t immediately say they have suffered violence,’’ Vantadori said. But, Vantadori said, “the bodies, the injuries speak for them and recount the spirals of daily horror.” Only in the last few years, have women in Italy started making significant inroads in an uphill cultural and legislative campaign to combat men’s violence against former and current wives and girlfriends, as well as against mothers, daughters and sisters. As recently as a generation ago, the Italian penal code still called for prison sentences as short as three years for men who killed women out of jealousy. Until 1981, the law sanctioned leniency for male defendants who slayed women to preserve the “family honor.” But a cadre of courageous women, including some horribly disfigured after being doused with acid, are galvanizing other women — and men — to recognize the warning signs of domestic violence and to support those who want to get out of violent relationships. The Italian Parliament passed anti-stalking legislation in 2009. But there have been cases in which authorities underestimated the danger posed by jealous or vengeful men with whom the women have ended or tried to end relationships. On Friday, doctors and other hospital staff as well as those coming to the hospital for medical care stopped to view the X-rays, which reflected patient injuries from over the last 10 years, the hospital said. The exhibition runs through Dec. 9. ___ D’Emilio reported from Rome.
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22015
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"The Medicare proposal by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., would ""allow insurance companies to deny you coverage and drop you for pre-existing conditions."
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Debbie Wasserman Schultz says Ryan Medicare plan would allow insurers to use pre-existing conditions as barrier to coverage
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false
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National, Corrections and Updates, Federal Budget, Health Care, Medicare, Debbie Wasserman Schultz,
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"On the May 29, 2011, edition of CBS’ Face the Nation, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla. -- recently named chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee -- criticized the proposal by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to make significant changes to how Medicare works. Currently, Medicare pays doctors and hospitals set fees for the care beneficiaries receive. Medicare beneficiaries pay premiums for some types of coverage, and workers contribute payroll taxes. Ryan’s plan leaves Medicare as is for people 55 and older. In 2022, though, new beneficiaries would be insured by private insurance companies rather than the federal government, although they would receive ""premium support"" -- financial assistance from the government for buying insurance. People who need more health care would get a little more money. The plans would be sold on an ""exchange"" -- a virtual marketplace -- and would comply with standards set by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, which administers the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. The plan gradually raises the Medicare eligibility age to 67 and provides smaller premium support to high earners. Medicare payments would rise but not at a rate that is expected to keep pace with the growth in medical costs. The Ryan plan was passed by the House in a near party-line vote, but it has more recently prompted some Republicans to oppose it, amid fears that voters will not be comfortable with its approach. Wasserman Schultz hit this point hard in her Face the Nation interview. ""Like I said, the Republicans have a plan to end the Medicare as we know it. …"" she said. ""They would take the people who are younger than 55 years old today and tell them, ‘You know what? You’re on your own. Go and find private health insurance in … the health care insurance market. We’re going to throw you to the wolves and allow insurance companies to deny you coverage and drop you for pre-existing conditions. We’re going to give you X amount of dollars, and you figure it out.’ And these are people who have paid for their whole life into the system, are counting on that safety net."" However, critics, including the Weekly Standard, a conservative magazine, argued that the Ryan plan doesn’t -- as Wasserman Schultz said -- ""allow insurance companies to deny you coverage and drop you for pre-existing conditions."" We decided to take a look. We’ll start by noting that the budget resolution is a non-binding proposal that has already died in the Senate. So any such plan can make promises -- like no barriers from pre-existing conditions -- without ensuring that those promises will be kept. That said, the language in the Ryan plan is clear: In 10 years, when the Ryan plan would kick in, anyone who is eligible for Medicare under today’s rules would be eligible to receive coverage under Ryan’s plan. Here’s the language from the budget that passed the House: ""Health plans that chose to participate in the Medicare Exchange would agree to offer insurance to all Medicare beneficiaries — to avoid cherry-picking and ensure that Medicare’s sickest and highest-cost beneficiaries received coverage."" The Congressional Budget Office -- Congress’ nonpartisan number-crunching agency -- took this promise at face value when it analyzed the plan. In its description of the plan, CBO wrote, ""Beneficiaries of the premium support payments would choose among competing private insurance plans operating in a newly established Medicare exchange. Those plans would have to comply with a standard for benefits set by the Office of Personnel Management. Plans would have to issue insurance to all people eligible for Medicare who applied and would have to charge the same premiums for all enrollees of the same age. The premium support payments would go directly from the government to the plans that people selected."" So the resolution itself and the CBO are in agreement: Under the Ryan plan, insurers participating in the revamped Medicare program would not be able to deny you insurance for pre-existing conditions. When we contacted Wasserman Schultz’s office, a spokesman, Hari Sevugan, said that Wasserman Schultz stands by what she said. As supporting evidence, he provided a link to a paper by Paul Van de Water, a health policy specialist at the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The paper analyzes a Medicare proposal put together by Ryan and Alice Rivlin, a Democrat who headed the Office of Management and Budget under President Bill Clinton. The proposal, released in November 2010, is similar in many ways to the Ryan budget proposal that passed the House. Van de Water (who did not respond to an inquiry for this story) wrote that under the Ryan-Rivlin proposal, ""insurers would surely attempt to shun enrollees in poor health (who cost much more), as private plans do today in the Medicare Advantage program."" We initially thought that the provisions outlined in the Ryan-Rivlin plan had been changed before the resolution went to the House floor. However, a look at the Ryan-Rivlin plan itself (a two-page outline) shows that the protections for pre-existing conditions are there, too -- in identical language. ""Health plans which choose to participate in the Medicare Exchange must agree to offer insurance to all Medicare beneficiaries, thereby preventing cherry-picking and ensuring that Medicare’s sickest and highest cost beneficiaries receive coverage,"" the Rivlin-Ryan plan said. So it seems that Ryan has been consistent on the question of pre-existing conditions. Is there still a way to get around those protections? Possibly. ""There are always ways for insurers to get around bans on pre-existing conditions -- put your office on the 8th floor of a building with no elevator, have no cancer specialists in your network,"" said Michael Tanner, a health policy specialist with the libertarian Cato Institute. But he added that the same criticism would apply to the health care law passed by the Democratic-controlled Congress and signed by Obama. ""There's nothing uniquely structural to Ryan's proposal that would make it more subject to such evasion,"" Tanner said. Meanwhile, just because prospective beneficiaries couldn’t be barred due to pre-existing conditions doesn’t mean the Ryan plan would be a walk in the park for them. Linda J. Blumberg, a health policy specialist at the centrist to liberal Urban Institute, said that a plan that shifts a greater share of costs onto patients -- as the Ryan plan would likely do -- could hit patients with pre-existing, chronic conditions the hardest. ""Big cost-sharing increases effectively shift more of the costs of providing care to those that use it most,"" she said. This would increase the pressure for insurers to cut back on expensive treatments, at least within the confines of the federal rules. Wasserman Schultz is free to criticize the Ryan plan on any number of grounds, but in her comment, she went too far. Both the budget plan that passed the House and its predecessor, Ryan-Rivlin, specifically noted that coverage could not be prevented by a pre-existing condition. It may be easier to say you’ll bar ""cherry picking"" patients than it is to put it into practice, but Ryan has made his intentions consistently clear. CORRECTION: This version of the story corrects that the president cannot veto a budget resolution."
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Fauci says ‘rolling reentry’ of US economy possible in May.
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The United States’ top infectious disease expert said Sunday that the economy in parts of the country could have a “rolling reentry” as early as next month, provided health authorities can quickly identify and isolate people who will inevitably be infected with the coronavirus.
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true
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Understanding the Outbreak, Health, Anthony Fauci, General News, United States, Politics, Business, Infectious diseases, Pandemics, Virus Outbreak, Economy
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Dr. Anthony Fauci also said he “can’t guarantee” that it will be safe for Americans to vote in person on Election Day, Nov. 3. Rather than flipping a switch to reopen the entire country, Fauci said a gradual process will be required based on the status of the pandemic in various parts of the U.S. and the availability of rapid, widespread testing. Once the number of people who are seriously ill sharply declines, officials can begin to “think about a gradual reentry of some sort of normality, some rolling reentry,” Fauci said. In some places, he said, that might occur as soon as May. “We are hoping that, at the end of the month, we could look around and say, OK, is there any element here that we can safely and cautiously start pulling back on? If so, do it. If not, then just continue to hunker down,” Fauci said. Whenever restrictions ease, Fauci said, “we know that there will be people who will be getting infected. I mean, that is just reality. “ Social distancing guidelines imposed by President Donald Trump are set to expire April 30. Trump is eager to restart the economy, which has stalled because most Americans are under orders to “stay at home” to help slow the virus’ spread. But governors will have a lot to say about when to ease restrictions in their states, and the leaders of Maryland and New Jersey indicated Sunday that they are not likely to do so until widespread testing is available. “The question is how fast we can get enough tests up to speed in order to help us get to the point where we are able to do all of those things,” Gov. Larry Hogan, R-Md., said. He said he has set no “artificial deadline.” Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J., said the risks of reopening too soon are dangerously high. “And I fear, if we open up too early, and we have not sufficiently made that health recovery and cracked the back of this virus, that we could be pouring gasoline on the fire, even inadvertently,” Murphy said. Increased testing would allow authorities to identify, isolate and trace the contacts of people who are newly infected, Fauci said. Trump continues to deny continuing problems with the coronavirus testing that’s available, including shortages and long wait times for people to learn results. He’s also resistant to the idea of more widespread testing, saying last week that “it’s unnecessary” and that “vast areas of our country don’t need this.” Other scientists have echoed Fauci’s call for a gradual reopening, where restrictions can be ramped up or down. Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the University of Washington institute that created widely cited projections of virus-related deaths, said studies show that lifting restrictions at the end of this month would lead to a rebound in the number of infections. Because states don’t really have the capability to deal with a big volume of new cases, he said, “by July or August we could be back in the same situation we are now.” Officials need to examine whether a state has reached its peak and then allow several weeks of continued closures until fuller testing and contact tracing can be put in place before making a decision, Murray said. But even then, he said, states would have to mindful of putting in place controls to stem “importation” of the virus from other states. “Maybe some states can open up mid May but we have to be very careful and make sure we don’t lose all the effort the American people have put into closures by premature opening,” he said. When asked on CNN if earlier action on social distancing and “stay at home” policies could have saved lives, Fauci responded in part: “It’s very difficult to go back and say that. I mean, obviously, you could logically say that if you had a process that was ongoing and you started mitigation earlier, you could have saved lives. Obviously, no one is going to deny that. But what goes into those kinds of decisions is complicated.” Speaking about the prospects of Americans physically going to polling places in November, Fauci said he hopes voting in person can take place. “I believe that if we have a good, measured way of rolling into this, steps towards normality, that we hope, by the time we get to November, that we will be able to do it in a way which is the standard way,” he said.. “However — and I don’t want to be the pessimistic person — there is always the possibility, as we get into next fall, and the beginning of early winter, that we could see a rebound,” he said. The U.S. has the most confirmed cases and deaths of any nation, more than 530,000 and 20,600, respectively, according to Johns Hopkins University. In hard-hit New York, the number of deaths has topped 700 for six straight days, but the increase in people who are hospitalized is slowing, in a hopeful sign. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. Fauci was on CNN’s “State of the Union.″ Hogan appeared on ABC’s ”This Week.″ Murray was on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” Murphy was on CNN and CBS.
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One in every five families in the state of New Jersey has a loved one with a mental illness, a serious mental illness, and today, we don’t care.
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Sen. Codey says 1 in 5 New Jersey families has loved one with mental illness
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true
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New Jersey, Health Care, State Budget, Richard Codey,
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"Gov. Chris Christie’s budget veto pen didn’t just hit big-ticket expenditures. Even small amounts – including $50,000 for a mental health awareness group – was trimmed from the state’s spending plan this summer. And state Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) had plenty to say about it during a speech he gave July 11 on the Senate floor in Trenton. ""One in every five families in the state of New Jersey has a loved one with a mental illness, a serious mental illness, and today, we don’t care,"" Codey said in response to Christie’s line-item veto of a $50,000 appropriation for the Governor’s Council on Mental Health Stigma. PolitiFact New Jersey checked Codey’s statistic and found that, depending on definition and methodology, the figure is generally accurate. While several national mental health-affiliated organizations cite that statistic for all states, at least one other said the ratio is 1-in-4 families. ""These days our fact sheets are using one in four (families) any day in a given year has a mental health problem,"" said Bob Carolla, spokesman for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. ""It depends on who has done the most recent study and parameters around it."" Codey, who was governor from November 2004 to January 2006, signed an executive order in November 2004 to create the Governor’s Task Force on Mental Health to investigate the state’s mental health system. One of the task force’s recommendations was creation of the council, with an aim to educate people about mental illness. ""The thing about mental health is it knows no barriers, rich or poor, black or white,"" Codey told us. Codey raised more than one issue in his statement, so we’ll look at the number of people in New Jersey affected by mental illness, explain the budget cut and identify ""serious mental illness."" First, New Jersey had 3,152,877 households from 2005 to 2009, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. If each household is considered a family, that means approximately 630,575 New Jerseyans had a mental illness during that time, based on Codey’s statistic. Second, state Treasury Department spokesman Bill Quinn confirmed the $50,000 cut and said the money was used for promotional materials and expenses related to council Executive Director Celina Gray’s outreach efforts about mental illness. Quinn said Gray remains employed and the council still exists, but the work connected with it has been folded into the Human Services Department’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services. The governor’s office did not respond to two email requests for comment on Codey’s statement. Codey, Carolla and Phil Lubitz, associate director of NAMI’s state office in North Brunswick, each identified serious mental illness as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, major depression and panic disorder. ""Loved ones also applies to immediate family members,"" Lubitz said. Although Codey’s statement was about New Jersey, the 1-in-5 statistic is used by these organizations: the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office; the American Psychiatric Association; and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. ""In 2009, there were an estimated 45.1 million people with any mental illness in the past year -- that’s 19.9 percent of all individuals age 12 and older … or, if you prefer, about 1 in every 5 individuals,"" Bradford Stone, spokesman for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, said in an email. ""For serious mental illness, the rate was 4.8 percent (about 1 in every 20 individuals) or 11.0 million individuals for all individuals age 18 and older."" NAMI has used 1 in 4 families since 2007, and the National Institute of Mental Health cites both statistics. ""The current prevalence estimate is that about 20 percent of the U.S. population are affected by mental disorders during a given year,"" according to ""Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General,"" issued in 1999 and still one of the main standards today in assessing mental illness, Carolla said. Let’s review. In responding to a budget cut for a council formed by the Governor’s Task Force on Mental Health, Codey said that one in every five New Jersey families has a loved one with a mental illness. Various reports from at least three organizations cite that statistic, but NAMI cites 1-in-4. Another national organization cites both. Even with the slight disparity, the overall point of Codey’s statement is that mental illness is very common. To comment on this ruling, go to NJ.com."
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381
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Novartis faces shareholder criticism over drug prices at AGM.
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Novartis’s shift into high-tech drugs won praise for providing patients with new options but criticism over prices that may run into the millions of dollars at the Swiss drugmaker’s annual general meeting on Thursday.
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true
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Health News
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Shareholders at the event in Basel also approved Novartis’s planned spin-off of its Alcon eyecare unit, due for coming months, with investors with five Novartis shares due to receive one share of Alcon stock. Swiss shareholder group Actares said insurance systems are being “taken hostage” by high prices for life-saving drugs. It called out Novartis’s $475,000 cancer cell therapy Kymriah and its still-unapproved gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy that Novartis contends is cost-effective at $4-$5 million per patient, while independent groups have concluded its value is less than that. Chief Executive Vas Narasimhan, who did not testify this week before the U.S. Senate with other global drug industry executives also facing criticism for drug prices, said he seeks to price medicines based on their value, adding Novartis needs a fair return to further research and development. “With respect to pricing in cell and gene therapies, I think what’s often lost in the discussion is the remarkable impact of these medicines,” Narasimhan said. “These are true breakthroughs that come from a single infusion of a medicine that don’t require lifelong therapy.” Actares President Veronika Hendry said high drug prices present society with difficult questions over access. “With this business model you are taking hostage an insurance system that depends on solidarity,” Hendry said. “There’s currently a broad discussion going on over exorbitant drug prices, and this discussion is creating resentment and disbelief.”
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2188
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Malnutrition curses the children of Venezuela.
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Last August, Francys Rivero, an unemployed single mother of four, feared for her baby’s life. Two months after his birth, even though she was breastfeeding him regularly, Kenai de Jesus wasn’t gaining weight.
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true
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Health News
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“I feel like my heart is breaking,” Rivero, 32, told Reuters in an interview here in the capital of the western Venezuelan state of Lara. “I don’t know what’s wrong with my son.” She tried repeatedly to see nutritionists, but failed. One didn’t show up, another required a month-long wait. Desperate, Rivero attended a charity event offering checkups and information for families of children with nutritional problems. At the event, organized by Caritas, the Catholic aid organization, doctors performed a check-up. With donations from the charity, and financial assistance from siblings now living abroad, Rivero began supplementing her breast milk with baby formula. Within weeks, Kenai rebounded. By December, he reached an acceptable weight for his age. But Rivero, like many enduring a recession now in its sixth year, fears she could once again find herself short of the money needed to keep him healthy. “How am I going to afford such expensive food?” she asks. Venezuela’s economic crisis is taking a crippling toll on the country’s children, who face a growing risk of malnutrition as basic food is increasingly out of reach for many families. The public health system, notoriously short of medicine and other standard supplies, is unable to provide much succor, and aid groups struggle to bridge the gap. President Nicolas Maduro, increasingly a global pariah for undermining democracy and overseeing the country’s economic collapse, blames the crisis and food shortages on U.S. sanctions meant to force him from power. The leader, also accused of overseeing widespread human-rights abuses and turning a blind eye to suffering across the once-prosperous country, often says foreign media and global aid organizations exaggerate Venezuela’s problems. A lack of proper nutrition is stunting growth, diminishing cognitive development and causing physical and emotional trauma among hundreds of thousands of young Venezuelans. As a result, doctors and other health experts argue, Venezuela faces a generation of young people who will never meet their full physical or mental potential. Between 2013 and 2018, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund, or UNICEF, 13% of the country’s children suffered from malnutrition. Caritas, in a recent study conducted in five Venezuelan states and the capital, Caracas, found that 16% of children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition and that nearly twice as many suffer from low growth rates for their age. Although the United Nations and other agencies import some food and nutritional aid, it isn’t enough for Venezuela’s needs and the assistance doesn’t always get where it is most required. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has raised just a third of the $222.7 million it sought for Venezuela for the second half of 2019, according to official U.N. data. “A population suffering from malnutrition implies we are going to have adults with less physical and intellectual potential,” said Raquel Mendoza, a nutritionist at Mapani, an aid group in Barquisimeto that helps poor families diagnose and treat malnourished children. “We’re going to see a regression in the development of the country because human resources are diminished.” Venezuela’s Information Ministry, responsible for government communications including those of the Health Ministry, didn’t respond to requests for comment. The ministry’s 2016 annual report, the last one it published, celebrated advances in nutrition since the 1980s and said child malnutrition “has stopped being a public health problem.” For those without enough to eat, the problem is very real. Rosa Rojas, a 32-year-old widow and mother of six, relies on rice and other carbohydrates to keep her kids fed. Rare is the day they get three full meals. “We just eat twice,” she said. Gregoria Hernandez, a 23-year-old homemaker, recently hospitalized two young sons, Pastor and Josue Suarez, because they were malnourished. Shortly after their release, Sonia, her 7-month-old daughter, needed similar medical help. “I feel like the worst of mothers,” Hernandez told Reuters. “I don’t have a way to help them, to give them what they need.” Sometimes, families are torn between competing needs. Deina Alvarez, a 6-year-old student and aspiring gymnast, is underweight and receiving nutritional supplements from a local charity. Although her parents both work, they don’t earn enough to fill a grocery cart and buy the medicines they both need as epileptics. “Either we pay for medicine or we pay for food,” said Diana Rodriguez, Deina’s mother.
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2203
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Congolese girl, 9, dies of Ebola in Uganda: hospital official.
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A 9-year-old girl has died of Ebola in the East African nation of Uganda, a hospital official said, a day after she tested positive for the disease after crossing the border from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
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true
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Health News
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“It is true she died last night,” said the official, who asked not to be named. Uganda’s health minister said earlier on Friday that the girl, of Congolese origin, would be sent back to her country for treatment. The haemorrhagic disease has killed more than 2,000 people in a year-long outbreak in the Congo, and sparked fears of the outbreak spilling over into neighbouring countries. The girl was identified by a screening team at Mpondwe border post as she tried to cross to Uganda with her mother on Aug. 28. She was put under isolation in a hospital in Kasese district, about 470 km (292 miles) west of Uganda’s capital, Kampala. In June, two people who had travelled from Congo died in Uganda while a third who was part of the same visiting family died after he was sent back home. The three had tested positive for Ebola. Uganda has been hit by multiple outbreaks of Ebola in the past but the presence of a donor-funded viral testing lab, Uganda Virus Research Institute, and a robust response mechanism has ensured fatalities have been kept low.
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1394
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Actavis UK raised drug prices 12,000 percent, watchdog finds.
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Drug maker Actavis UK broke competition law by raising prices of hydrocortisone tablets by more than 12,000 percent, Britain’s competition watchdog said in a provisional ruling on Friday.
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true
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Health News
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Higher prices meant the tablets cost Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) about 70 million pounds ($87 million) last year, up from about 522,000 pounds previously, the CMA said. The company raised prices of 10 mg hydrocortisone tablets by more than 12,000 percent compared to the price they were sold at by another company before April 2008, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said. It raised the price of 20 mg hydrocortisone tablets by nearly 9,500 percent, the CMA said. The 10 mg tablets which cost the NHS 70p each in April 2008 cost 88 pounds by March 2016, it found. The tablets are used for hormone replacement therapies in people whose adrenal glands do not produce sufficient amounts of natural steroid hormones. Pharmaceutical companies have faced regulatory scrutiny recently for buying smaller companies and then raising their prices many fold. The CMA fined Pfizer Inc 84.2 million pounds for ramping up the cost of an epilepsy drug by as much as 2,600 percent. Actavis UK's former parent Allergan Plc was created by a $66 billion merger that saw Dublin-based Actavis acquire Botox maker Allergan Inc in November 2014 and change its name to the latter. (reut.rs/2hqLmCj) Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries bought the company in a $40.5 billion deal that closed in August. Teva confirmed that Actavis UK had received a statement of objection from the CMA and that it would defend itself against the allegations. “Although the pricing of the acquired Actavis product, Hydrocortisone, under investigation was never under Teva’s effective control, Teva believes that intervention by the CMA in prices for generic medicines raises serious policy concerns regarding the roles of both the CMA and the Department of Health,” the company said in an emailed statement. Teva is in the process of selling Actavis UK and Actavis Ireland to India’s Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. The CMA said its findings were provisional and it would consider representations of the parties under investigation before determining whether the law had been infringed.
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6542
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Cleanup of toxic pollution from River Raisin nearly finished.
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Cleanup of a southeastern Michigan river segment that flows into Lake Erie is nearly complete, another step toward restoring environmental health to some of the most heavily polluted sites in the Great Lakes and their tributaries, officials said Wednesday.
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true
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Gary Peters, Michigan, Cameron Davis, Lakes, OH State Wire, Environment, IL State Wire, MI State Wire, Traverse City, WI State Wire, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Wastewater, Pollution
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Only a few weeks of dredging toxin-laced sediments remain before work will be completed in a 2.6-mile stretch of River Raisin that began nearly 20 years ago, said Cameron Davis, senior adviser with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The area was fouled with chemicals and heavy metals that flowed into the waterway about 40 miles south of Detroit from factories, wastewater treatment facilities, landfills and farms. “Southeast Michigan’s fishing, boating, shipping and tourism industries all depend on clean water to create jobs and foster growth and will benefit greatly” from the cleanup, said U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat. River Raisin was among 43 harbors, river mouths and other locations in the Great Lakes region that were longtime dumping grounds for industrial toxins and designated for special attention under an agreement between the U.S. and Canada. Despite their high-priority status, only four in the U.S. and three in Canada have been declared restored and removed from the list since it was compiled in 1987. The Obama administration has stepped up work on a number of sites under its Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, including White Lake and Deer Lake in Michigan, which were dropped from the list in 2014, and Presque Isle Bay in Pennsylvania, which was removed the previous year. The Oswego River in New York was removed in 2006. River Raisin’s worst problem was pollution with polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, which are manufactured organic chemicals that were widely used in electrical equipment until they were identified as potential causes of cancer and other illnesses. After the cleanup ends this fall, it will be monitored for several years to make sure its environmental problems are fixed. If so, state officials can petition to have it removed from the list. “The River Raisin Area of Concern cleanup is proof positive that Great Lakes Restoration Initiative investments are delivering real, on-the-ground and in-the-water results,” Davis said. The program has pumped $27 million into the River Raisin project, while state agencies and private groups have provided $18 million more. Workers have removed or securely covered more than 150,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment, restored over 300 acres of wildlife habitat and opened 23 miles of the river to fish migration and spawning. ___ Follow John Flesher on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JohnFlesher
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9502
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New study shows promise of yoga in treating back pain
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This story described a new study as showing it proved yoga was basically as good as physical therapy. That’s somewhat correct, but a key detail to this is defining what “good” means in numerical terms, which the story didn’t do. As it turns out, the results weren’t overwhelming: The people who were assigned to yoga or PT didn’t have much better outcomes than the control group on pain and function measurements. (The control group received educational materials.) Another detail many stories missed: This research is unique because it enrolled low-income patients. Since the magnitude of benefit was lower in this study, it suggests that these treatment options may not be as effective as seen in previous studies that included mainly middle and higher income individuals. Yoga very likely does help reduce pain–and at a relatively low risk profile compared to pain medications. Still, it shouldn’t be promoted as more effective than it really is, because that’s misleading to readers. When it comes to chronic back pain, “any single treatment approach is unlikely to prove helpful to all or even most patients,” as this editorial accompanying the study explained. This includes yoga.
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false
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back pain,yoga
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The story does not discuss the costs of a set of yoga classes for a patient with chronic back pain. It would also be helpful to talk about whether insurers would reimburse patients for yoga in the same way they reimburse for prescription pain medications. Out of pocket costs may be greater for yoga than for PT, which may be more likely to be covered by the insurer. The story does not quantify how much “better” patients felt who received yoga classes compared to patients who received only education, or who received only physical therapy. Here is the statement by the researcher. Italics by editor. “Yoga was as effective as physical therapy for reducing pain intensity,” Saper said. “Perhaps most importantly reducing pain medication use.” There should have been numbers for “as effective as” showing us the comparison of some measurement. What this news story and many others missed: The study’s primary outcomes were pain and functional status. It found that neither yoga nor physical therapy were statistically better than education (the control group). And due to the lack of numbers in this story, it’s not clear how effective any of them are. The story could have included some statement of potential harms from yoga. While it may seem that yoga is innocuous, that’s not exactly the case: In a 2017 Cochrane review of 12 different research studies on yoga and chronic back pain, they included potential harms, including the risk of “increased back pain.” This story does tell us a few details about the study. For example, that “320 adults with moderate to severe back pain received one of three approaches over 12 weeks: But the story would have been stronger if it had pointed out this was a randomized study–meaning participants weren’t allowed to pick the treatment they wanted, which helps avoid bias. It also should have discussed that there was a high drop-out rate (not everyone completed the study) among the PT and yoga groups, reducing the actual patient size substantially. There was no disease mongering. But we thought the story tried too hard to raise the specter of opioid addiction, which was not the focus of the research itself. If you’re going to go there, then at least go deeper into the topic of pain and addiction–rather than just raising that scary reality and not explaining it better. No independent sources were quoted. The story was about three alternative therapies for chronic low back pain–physical therapy, education, and yoga. While a lot more could have been said on the effectiveness of these treatments, it was at least clear that there are options beyond yoga. Yoga is widely available, although it may be harder to find for rural and low-income neighborhoods. Ironically, the story does not tell us that the 320 patients in this research study were primarily low-income. The study publication itself does say that. Yoga and back pain has been studied a lot, yet this story didn’t place this new study in context with past research. An editorial that accompanied the study highlights what is novel about this study: It was made up of low-income patients and there was a longer evaluation period than most studies (1 year). If the story had mentioned these differences, then it would be Satisfactory on this criterion. We did not find a news release for this study, so we’ll rate this N/A.
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35512
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Hand sanitizers gradually become less effective after their expiration date.
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What's true: Hand sanitizers generally expire after two to three years of use and lose their effectiveness. What's undetermined: However, if the bottle is never opened and remains sealed, the alcohol inside would not have been exposed to air, which reduces effectiveness. Thus, the sanitizer may still be effective.
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mixture
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Medical, COVID-19
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Hand sanitizers were flying off grocery store shelves in early 2020 amid the COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic, leading to shortages around the United States. While washing hands thoroughly and frequently with soap is the most highly recommended method of preventing the spread of the virus, many people were turning to hand sanitizers. We received questions about the effectiveness of sanitizers after their expiration date from people who were concerned about using old sanitizer they found in their storage. Some questioned whether hand sanitizers even needed an expiration date, and if the alcohol in them could really “expire.” The answer is somewhat complicated. According the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), over-the-counter drugs must list an expiration date unless data show they are stable for more than three years. However, the FDA “does not have information on the stability or effectiveness of drug products past their expiration date.” Hand sanitizer needs to have 60% to 95% alcohol to be effective at killing germs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hand sanitizers without alcohol are not as effective for most germs, and in most cases, they reduce the number of germs but do not kill them. Hand sanitizers with alcohol generally take two to three years to expire, and because the FDA regulates them, they are required by law to have an expiration date on their packaging. According to Insider, the alcohol evaporates quickly when exposed to air. So, when someone pops open the bottle of sanitizer, the alcohol content will gradually decrease over time, since most closed containers are not airtight. As a result, the sanitizer becomes less effective over time. According to Healthline: The manufacturer estimates how long it’ll take for the percentage of the active ingredient to drop below 90% of the percentage stated on the label. That time estimate becomes the expiration date. However, sealed bottles of sanitizer will maintain relatively more alcohol content after their expiration date, especially if they have not yet been exposed to air. According to Insider:
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10901
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A crystal ball for the spine
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Is the ScoliScore genetic test of scoliosis progression risk a “tremendous advance forward,” as the company researcher quoted in this story claims, or is it “investigational” and in need of further study, as some major insurance companies have determined? Readers of this story get only the company line and none of the independent evaluation.They aren’t told about the test’s $3000 price tag. They aren’t told that the test has not been evaluated by the FDA or any other regulatory body. They are given the impression that it may be useful for a larger number of people than even the test’s maker recommends. They see the test portrayed as superior to alternatives when no such comparisons have been performed. They aren’t told that the spine specialist quoted in the story has disclosed elsewhere that he owns stock in the company. They are treated to a glowing report from a single patient (who has also been the only patient featured in other stories.) Scoliosis is common in adolescents, but for most it is mild and does not worsen as they grow. For some, the amount of curvature is greater and the question of whether it is going to worsen or not over time becomes clinically relevant. This is the population in which this test could be considered. The question is whether this test can improve the predictive ability of the doctor in a way that improves the process and outcomes of care compared to usual practice. One issue is whether this test may identify individuals at low risk for progression who may not need to be followed as closely and may not need a brace. The outcomes are the number of xrays, visits and braces avoided and the improved quality of life that results compared to usual care. The bigger issue is a very small percent of individuals with scoliosis go on to requiring surgery. Though not addressed, a test that could identify individuals early for intervention and prevent that would be a real step forward and one that could justify the cost of this test. However, no evidence is presented that the test could do this.
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false
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Chicago Tribune
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According to the Axial Biotech web site, the ScoliScore list price is almost $3,000. Why weren’t readers given this information? The omission of cost is particularly troubling for two reasons. One, because the ScoliScore is new, has yet to be extensively studied by independent experts, and has not been submitted for FDA approval, some major insurance companies define the test as investigational, which means it may not be covered (depending on specific health plan contract language). Two, claims that this test can help people avoid other tests (and their costs) is a primary selling point for the company, so the cost tradeoffs should have been examined. Reference: ScoliScore Site Training document, p. 31 http://www.axialbiotech.com/files/ScoliScore_Site_Training.pdf Wellmark policy statement: http://www.wellmark.com/Provider/MedPoliciesAndAuthorizations/MedicalPolicies/policies/DNA_based_prognostic.aspx Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware medical policy reference manual statement: http://www.bcbsde.com/ProviderPolicies/public_site/11.01.46_Genetic_Testing_for_Predicting_Progression_of_Adolescent_Idiopathic_Sco.htm The story includes a quote calling the ScoliScore “a tremendous advance forward.” Certainly, reducing the number of X-ray exams given to young patients at risk of progressive scoliosis would be a welcome benefit; but this story makes it appear that this genetic test is better than current monitoring techniques, when that key questions has yet to be put to the test. The story offers a single anecdote of a girl who, according to her mother, was spared from being put into a back brace because of this new test. Not only does the story fail to offer any examples of other patient experiences, it’s not really clear that the ScoliScore really made the difference for this girl, since her doctor says information from the new test is correlated with results of X-ray images of the spine and other examinations. The story does not address potential harms. What if it turns out that the way the test is applied in regular clinical practice is not as effective as conventional monitoring (either because of shortcomings of the test itself or mistakes in how it is used)? Could some young patients be deprived of effective interventions? That question wasn’t addressed by the study cited in this story, but readers should have been alerted to all the unknowns that remain to be investigated. Oh and since a simple saliva test seems so easy and innocuous, what is the risk that clinicians will overprescribe it, thus perhaps burdening families with the $3000 cost without justification? The story should have also pointed out that this test has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA or other regulatory or professional bodies. Current law does not require this sort of test to undergo FDA evaluation. The story cites a single study conducted by the company that markets ScoliScore. Aside from minor mistakes in describing the study (for example, reporting that it included only girls when actually it involved boys, too), the story fails to make clear to readers that this study merely compared genetic test results to clinical examinations; in other words, it looked at which combinations of genetic variations were most common among teens who progressed to severe scoliosis. The problem is that the story then leaps to the conclusion that for appropriate patients, this test is better than current monitoring methods and that it offers better health outcomes. Neither of those vital endpoints was tested in this study. Although the story reports that “the test isn’t for everyone” and that because it is a test for gene combinations that vary with race the data so far apply only to whites, the story leaves out other important limitations, so readers are likely to believe the test could be useful for many more people than the manufacturer actually recommends. Scoliosis takes several forms (congenital, juvenile, adolescent or adult-onset) and it may also be caused by other conditions, including injuries and diseases, but the company that sells the ScoliScore recommends it only for children ages 9 to 13 who have been newly diagnosed with mild scoliosis that is not explained by some other condition. Readers of this story are likely to overestimate the number of people who might be candidates. Although the story notes that the researcher quoted works for the company marketing the ScoliScore, it doesn’t tell readers that the clinical physician quoted in the story was also involved in the research now being used to promote the use of the test and has reported that he owns stock in the company. This doctor and the patient profiled in the story have both appeared in other stories about the test, raising the likelihood that they were both provided by the company. There are many independent experts familiar with the ScoliScore, including those who wrote the insurance company evaluations mentioned above. The story should have included some truly independent voices. Reference: Disclosure statement published in The Spine Journal http://www.thespinejournalonline.com/article/S1529-9430(10)00426-2/abstract The story makes unfair comparisons between alternatives for evaluating scoliosis. It reports positive attributes of the ScoliScore test, but only shortcomings of alternatives. The story also fails to make clear that the study cited did not compare the new test to conventional alternatives. The story reports that the ScoliScore test is available at about 400 centers that specialize in spine and scoliosis care. The story reports that the ScoliScore has been available since 2009. Not applicable because we can’t be sure of the extent to which the story may have relied on a news release. However, it appears that both the spine specialist and the patient profiled in the story may have been provided by the company. If so, the story should have made any relationship clear to readers.
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11341
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Scientists claim to be close to anti-impotence cream more powerful than viagra
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"The story touts ""a new cream that promises instant anti-impotence with no side effects."" We’re talking about a study in 10 rats. Supposedly the cream ""succeeded"" in 9 of them, although how anti-impotence ""success"" was measured in rats was not described. Even if this had been about 10 people we would have shrieked, as if we’d seen a mouse. But even the researchers said this could be two years away from human testing and ten years away from submission for marketing approval. There was not one word about the heavily-populated graveyard of ideas that looked good in ten rats and were never heard from again. Stories about research in animals or about research in the laboratory but not yet in humans (sometimes called pre-clinical or in-vitro studies) should include warnings about how this research may not pan out in people. Stories that fail to include such information may paint a brighter picture for possible application in humans than is actually the case."
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false
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"It’s understandable that a story might not be able to discuss the costs of something that’s 10 years away from availability. What is not so understandable, however, is why they did the story now. The story simply stated, ""The cream succeeded in 9 out of 10 cases with the rats."" How is the ""success"" of an anti-impotence cream measured in rats? Inquiring minds want to know. Again, at least a line is warranted about the leap from animal research to human application. The first line of the story says that this cream ""promises instant anti-impotence with no side effects."" It also quoted a researcher: ""Our initial studies show that it is safe to use multiple times."" What does that mean? The story should have at least briefly mentioned that ""safety"" in ten rats does not automatically equate to safety in people. All drugs have side effects. The story explained the cream was tested in rats, and that human trials may not begin for another two years. The story said ""The cream succeeded in 9 out of 10 cases with the rats."" There was no discussion of: The story mentions ""the estimated 15 million American men suffering from erectile dysfunction."" Whose estimate is that? What is it based on? Is this lumping together all men who have occasional problems with erections with those who have organic disease? The lead researcher of this rat study was interviewed. And a urologist was quoted briefly – but only about the potential of the idea. No independent expert opinion appeared to evaluate the research and to judge the story’s claims that this animal study ""promises instant anti-impotence with no side effects."" The story mentioned three anti-impotence drugs now on the market and talked about how the new cream might be better. But there is simply no evidence base upon which to compare three approved drugs with a cream that has only been tested in 10 rats. The story stated that ""the new cream may not be widely available for 10 years,"" but that didn’t stop them from writing about it or touting its ""promise."" We’ll give the story the benefit of the doubt on this one, since it quoted a researcher saying ""This is the first time nanoparticles have been used to treat erectile dysfunction. Other topical treatments have been tried, but not one like this."" The story cites the London Daily Mail newspaper as its source. We can’t judge the extent to which the London story or the NY story may have been based on a news release."
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31718
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"Obamacare"" mandates that no one over 75 will be given major medical procedures unless approved by an ethics panel."
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Dr. Jill Vecchio, a Colorado radiologist, made a similar claim (captured in a YouTube video) that women over 74 years of age would not be able to receive mammograms under Obamacare. However, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes no such restriction; it echoes the United States Preventive Service Task Force recommendation that breast cancer screening be performed every 1-2 years for women aged 40 and older.
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false
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Medical, obamacare
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Long before the passage of the health care reform legislation commonly known as “Obamacare,” and continuing long afterwards, rumors have circulated claiming that the legislation mandates the creation of ethics panels (or “death panels”) which will determine who is deemed worthy of medical treatment, or that patients over a given age simply be denied essential medical treatment as a matter of course. The item reproduced above is another false rumor of that ilk, one which claims (citing a doctor at the Johnson City Medical Center in Tennessee as a source) that as of sometime in 2013, patients over the age of 75 will no longer be given major medical procedures “unless approved by locally administered Ethics Panels.” According to a representative for Johnson City Medical Center (Ed Herbert, Vice President, Mountain State Health Alliance Communications and Marketing), the substance of the message is untrue, and the related conversation did not take place as stated: While dramatic in nature, the conversation [above] is not true. The originator of the email was a guest in Dr. Suzanne Allen’s home. He is using Dr. Allen’s name and that of Johnson City Medical Center (JCMC) to wrongly promote his political position. Another issue is that Dr. Allen, who the blog names as [someone in a position of] ER leadership or more, is one of our incredibly skilled and caring ED physicians in the level I trauma center/Emergency Department at JCMC, [but is] not in any leadership role. She was very upset that the individual would fabricate a conversation about healthcare reform and use her name to add credibility to his position. The statements attributed to Dr. Allen were not said, the statements about Johnson City Medical Center are not true. The healthcare reform law, according to Dr. Allen, does not change the way in which she cares for her patients. From a hospital point of view, if there has been any effect from the healthcare reform law, it has been increased access for patients. No such denial is necessary to debunk this item, however. The simple fact is that, repeated spurious claims to the contrary notwithstanding, no provision of the “Obamacare” health care legislation mandates or authorizes the creation of “ethics panels” to determine which patients should or should not receive various medical treatments, based on their age or any other criteria.
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1832
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New York governor signs medical marijuana bill into law.
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Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday he had signed legislation making New York the 23rd state to allow medical marijuana, calling his approach, which forbids smoking of the drug and includes strict limits, the “smartest” any state had taken so far.
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true
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Health News
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Under the guidelines, access to the drug will be limited to patients with very serious and terminal illnesses, the drug can only be administered through vaporizing, oils and edibles, and Cuomo reserves the right to disband the program at any time. “This new law takes an important step toward bringing relief to patients living with extraordinary pain and illness,” Cuomo told a news conference at the New York Academy of Medicine, flanked by lawmakers and 9-year-old Amanda Houser, who suffers from seizures. The legislation “gets us the best that medical marijuana has to offer in the most protected, controlled way possible,” the Democratic governor said. “I really believe that this is the smartest approach that any state has taken thus far.” Other states have approved far more permissive laws. Washington state and Colorado decriminalized recreational use of marijuana in 2012. In other states, patients can grow their own pot, obtain it from a dispensary, or both. Medical marijuana is also legal in the District of Columbia. The signing of the New York law came after years of advocacy by proponents of medical marijuana. While applauding passage of the new law, advocates said it was not as comprehensive as patients had hoped and the timeline was too slow. “I’m heartened that the governor understands the medicinal benefits of medical cannabis. My son and so many others need this medicine right away,” said Missy Miller, whose son Oliver suffered a brain stem injury in utero and now as a teenager has hundreds of seizures a day. “The eighteen month timeline for implementation suggested in the bill is simply too long for Oliver,” Miller said in a statement issued by the Drug Policy Alliance. State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said the state’s goal would be to get the program up and running “swiftly, safely and efficiently.” The assembly has been approving versions of the bills for the better part of two decades. The current bill passed both houses of the Legislature on June 20. The conditions covered include cancer, HIV/AIDS, ALS, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, certain spinal cord injuries, irritable bowel syndrome, epilepsy, neuropathy and Huntington’s disease.
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37850
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Ulta Beauty is paying its employees for the duration of the pandemic.
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Is Ulta Paying Employees for the Duration of the COVID-19 Pandemic?
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mixture
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Fact Checks, Viral Content
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On May 10 2020, Ulta Beauty became the subject of a viral Facebook post claiming that the chain continued paying their furloughed employees for the duration of the pandemic:In what appeared to be originally a friends-locked post, the alliteratively-named Barbara Blaisdell Bingham explained that Ulta was extremely supportive when her late husband died, and again after she experienced a subsequent bereavement. Bingham spoke in the past tense at the end of her post (“I was a manager”), writing:When my late husband died ULTA paid my salary for about 4 weeks and they said I could take longer but I wanted to get back to work. When we lost Bryan they did the same. Paid my salary till I came back to work.Now they have paid there employees in the salon there salaries the entire time they’ve been off because of covid 19. That’s 1124 stores and salons.So I’m asking all my friends if you need make up. Or you need the salon. Or you need fragrances. Go to ULTA.They are a company that truly takes care of its employees. I’m so proud to say I was a manager for themFor readers unfamiliar with the brand, Ulta Beauty is a national chain of stores. Its locations primarily serve as a retail location, selling makeup and other beauty and grooming products and tools; Ulta also operates salons and employs cosmetologists.That distinction was important in the context of the post, because Bingham said Ulta paid the “employees in the salon” their salaries for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. As it was worded, the post was not specific about whether the bulk of Ulta employees — those working in retail capacities — were also receiving salaries or were otherwise compensated by Ulta Beauty.As for proportion, retail appeared to make up most of Ulta revenue. We were unable to find a readily available breakdown of the number of Ulta salon employees to retail employees, but salon services at Ulta were a small percentage of their overall business.In August 2019, Crain’s Chicago Business reported:Through the expansion of services like haircuts, color and blowouts; skin care and eyebrow tidying, Ulta lures customers into the store and they spend more. Loyalty members represent more than 90 percent of the company’s 2018 annual revenue of $6.72 billion, and service customers are the most devoted.While services increased 8.5 percent in 2018, they represented less than 5 percent of sales. Yet they double guest frequency and increase the average transaction value by 300 percent—a sign that services have unbound potential.Crain‘s cited sales data from 2018 for its 2019 reporting. On March 12 2020 — just before the coronavirus pandemic began closing down retail locations across the United States — Ulta issued its fourth-quarter fiscal report for 2019:Ulta Beauty, Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA) today announced financial results for the thirteen-week period (“Fourth Quarter”) and fifty-two week period (“Fiscal Year”) ended February 1, 2020 compared to the same periods ended February 2, 2019.“The Ulta Beauty team delivered results for the fourth quarter at the high end of our expectations, and I am proud of how our teams worked together to serve our guests this holiday season,” said Mary Dillon, Chief Executive Officer. “Our enhanced omnichannel capabilities, combined with our merchandise exclusives, cross-category marketing events, and great execution by our store teams, enabled us to expand our market share and deliver a successful quarter.”That press release contained revenue breakdowns, along with a chart indicating the salon portion of Ulta’s business was around the same proportion of earnings mentioned in the 2019 article:In both 2020 and 2019, services accounted for four percent of Ulta Beauty sales. The post didn’t directly address the status of Ulta Beauty’s many retail-only employees, such as cashiers, who were unable to work during the pandemic.On March 25 2020, CNBC noted Ulta was, at that time, “continuing to pay its workers’ wages and benefits.” But on April 9 2020 (more than a month prior to the Facebook post), trade publication WWD indicated that Ulta had begun furloughing its retail employees:Ulta Beauty is furloughing many store and salon associates as the company’s stores remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.“After thoughtful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily furlough many of our store and salon associates. During these uncertain times, we will do all we can to make sure these associates are supported,” Mary Dillon, Ulta chief executive officer, said in a statement.One day before that, Marketwatch reported workers had been furloughed, Ulta CEO Mary Dillon donated money to an employee relief fund, and some of the chain’s workers remained actively employed in the company’s e-commerce division:Ulta Beauty Inc. ULTA, +1.23% announced [on April 8 2020] that it intends to furlough its retail workers as of April 19 due to the spread of COVID-19. “… [Chief Executive Mary Dillon] will forego her base salary and has personally donated $500,000 to the Ulta Beauty Associate Relief Program, which will assist employees facing personal hardship from the coronavirus. Ulta continues to offer online sales, and is paying workers in its distribution centers an additional $2 an hour.On Reddit, Ulta employees and customers continued discussing the chain’s drawbacks in operations on multiple subreddits. On r/Ulta, one post contrasted rival Sephora’s firing of a large number of store employees remotely in an April 3 2020 post:Sephora firing employees… from UltaOn April 8 2020, a user shared a post about Ulta furloughing employees to r/MakeupAddiction:Ulta Beauty furloughs all employees via conference call from MakeupAddictionThe post appeared to contain an internal document issued to Ulta Beauty’s retail employees, and it read:While Ulta Beauty has been proud to offer catastrophe compensation these last several weeks, and even extended it through April 18 [2020], the extension of our store closure without a known reopen date has prompted another course of action. Beginning April 19 [2020], your role will transition from catastrophe compensation coverage to a temporary furloughed status. This means you will be placed on a temporary unpaid leave of absence from work which will end when it is safe to reopen our stores.One of the most important points we want to make is that you have the opportunity to apply and earn more money through government funds than what you are currently being paid through Ulta Beauty. This is based on the recent Federal Care Act which just recently went into effect which allows each associate to receive up to $600 per week in addition to half your weekly wage. (This will vary by associate and state.) So while we cannot tell you how to personally handle this, we strongly encourage you to look into the opportunity as soon as possible. You can find details on how to do this within a new resource document that will be posted to WorkJam this afternoon.A few other things to take note of is that any of you currently receiving health benefits through Ulta Beauty will continue to do so and none of you will need to be rehired. Instead, we will be able to call you and welcome you back to work when we reopen.Although the document was likely a leaked internal memorandum to Ulta workers, it made several points about Ulta’s action to that point and ongoing handling of the coronavirus pandemic, namely:On April 15 2020, one Ulta employee posted about being pleased with the company’s handling of COVID-19, particularly as compared to the way its direct competitor Sephora treated their own employees:Ulta Redeemed Themselves from UltaHowever, the process of receiving unemployment compensation was not straightforward for all workers. One Ulta employee indicated they had difficulty certifying their benefits, and generally expressed worry about the ongoing situation:Furloughed With Coupons from UltaOn May 14 2020, The Cut reported that Ulta was reopening some of its stores. Refinery29 included details about operations in the Ulta locations affected — including a stipulation all employees wear masks:For the safety of customers, the Ulta experience will be very different from what it looked like pre-pandemic. For one, sampling is completely off the table (the display cases will be out, but no touching is allowed). Associates will be required to wear masks, and customers are strongly encouraged to as well. Staff will thoroughly clean and disinfect the store throughout the day. Customers will be required to practice social distancing of at least six feet, which means there will be a limit on the number of people in the store at any given time. Finally, all transactions will be contact-less through phone or credit card. “Our teams have worked with government and health officials and other retail leaders to bring the best shopping experiences to our stores,” says Dillon. You can read the rest of the retailer’s Shop Safe Standards on its website.A viral Facebook post encouraged users to shop at Ulta Beauty due to its purported handling of employee compensation during the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating that all salon employees were paid for the pandemic’s duration as of May 11 2020. It is true that Ulta initially compensated employees from the initiation of the closures on March 19 2020 through April 18 2020. At that point, Ulta informed its employees that it would be discontinuing compensation, and encouraged them to apply for pandemic benefits. Ulta also said that it would not discontinue health insurance, nor would anyone have to re-apply for their jobs.It was partly true Ulta continued paying workers and held their jobs — but not all employees initially received unemployment, and some employees reported difficulty or confusion regarding their pay.Comments
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25633
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"Kelly Loeffler has a ""long history of donating to abortion-on-demand Democrats."
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Since 2006, of the more than $2 million in political contributions made by Loeffler, $16,600 has gone to Democrats or liberal causes, the rest to Republicans and conservative causes. The relatively little money Loeffler has given to Democrats doesn’t prove a connection to supporting abortion rights. Loeffler has been endorsed in the Nov. 3 special Senate election by the National Right to Life Committee and other anti-abortion groups.
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false
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Georgia, Campaign Finance, Doug Collins,
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"In a special Senate election that features two prominent Georgia Republicans, Rep. Doug Collins claimed in a tweet that Sen. Kelly Loeffler has a ""long history of donating to abortion-on-demand Democrats."" Collins has a point. Over a period of years, Loeffler has made campaign contributions to Democrats who support abortion rights. But the vast majority of her campaign cash has been given to Republicans, and she has been endorsed by major anti-abortion groups. Their race is one of 18 pivotal House and Senate contests up for election on Nov. 3 that PolitiFact is tracking. The special election — open to candidates from all parties, including the Rev. Raphael Warnock, the leading Democratic candidate — is being held to fill the seat held by Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson, who resigned in December with health problems. Loeffler was appointed to the seat on an interim basis. Georgia is unique in this cycle in that both of its Senate seats are being contested on Nov. 3. If none of the 21 candidates in the special election gets at least 50% of the vote, a runoff election will be held Jan. 5. Georgia’s other Senate contest pits Republican incumbent David Perdue against Democrat Jon Ossoff. To some, the term ""abortion on demand"" might suggest abortion at any time under any circumstances; but the common definition is much different. Collins’ campaign cited three dictionary definitions of abortion on demand. Each says: ""The right of a woman to have an abortion during the first six months of a pregnancy. ""An abortion performed on a woman solely at her own request."" To back Collins’ claim, his campaign cited campaign contributions Loeffler made herself as well as contributions from the political action committee of the company Intercontinental Exchange, where her husband, Jeff Sprecher, is CEO. ICE is the publicly traded parent company of the New York Stock Exchange. Collins’ campaign cited Federal Election Commission records showing a total of $13,100 in donations made by Loeffler nine or more years ago — from 2006 to 2011 — to congressional campaigns for six Democrats, all of whom support abortion rights. We found that each of the Democrats had received high ratings from NARAL (formerly the National Abortion Rights Action League) Pro-Choice America. John Barrow, a former Georgia representative ($500) Chris Dodd, former Connecticut senator ($2,000) Bob Etheridge, a former North Carolina representative ($500, $2,300) Former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin ($2,000) Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan ($2,000 Rep. David Scott of Georgia ($2,300, $1,500) Collins also cited $69,000 in donations made from 2011 to 2019, but not by Loeffler herself. They were made by the political action committee for her husband’s company, Intercontinental Exchange, to five Democrats who support abortion rights. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York ($14,000) Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York ($10,000) Allyson Schwartz, a former Pennsylvania representative ($2,500) Stabenow ($22,500) Rep. Maxine Waters of California ($20,000) There is no indication, however, that these donations were made because of the individual lawmakers’ stances on abortion. Loeffler’s campaign responded by claiming that nearly 99% of nearly $2 million in political contributions made by Loeffler have gone to anti-abortion candidates. The data does indicate the vast majority of Loeffler’s contributions have been to Republicans: Since 2006, of the more than $2 million in political contributions made by Loeffler, $16,600 has gone to Democrats or liberal causes, according to data the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics provided PolitiFact. Of the $3.2 million Loeffler and her husband have given to political committees, less than 3% went to Democratic candidates and causes, the center reported in December. Moreover, Loeffler can point to anti-abortion credentials. Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in December chose Loeffler over Collins, who had been recommended by President Donald Trump, to replace Isakson. Kemp said Loeffler would ""defend life against the radical left's abortion-on-demand agenda."" Loeffler also has been endorsed in the special election by the National Right to Life Committee and other anti-abortion groups. Collins claimed his fellow Republican Loeffler has a ""long history of donating to abortion-on-demand Democrats."" From 2006 to 2011, Loeffler personally gave a total of $13,100 in campaign donations to six Democrats who support abortion rights. The political action committee of her husband’s company has also donated to a handful of Democrats more recently, but these contributions did not come from Loeffler. Overall, only a tiny fraction of the campaign contributions made by Loeffler have gone to Democrats, and she has won endorsements from major anti-abortion groups."
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35548
|
A graphic shows contradictory CNN articles about hydroxychloroquine, published three months apart and co-authored by the same person.
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“There’s a little bit of loosey-goosiness here in all this,” he told CNN.
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false
|
Politics
|
One of the many political controversies surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 was U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated touting of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine for treatment of the coronavirus disease, despite a lack of scientific studies and evidence demonstrating its effectiveness for that purpose. One item that circulated on social media played on that controversy by purporting to show two seemingly contradictory CNN articles about hydroxychloroquine, published three months apart and co-authored by the same person. One criticized Trump for being “wrong” about hydroxychloroquine, and the other acknowledged that a study had found hydroxychloroquine helpful in treating coronavirus patients: However, these articles were not contradictory in content, and they were presented in a misleading manner in the above example to make them seem so. The first article, published on April 11, 2020, and written by Elizabeth Cohen and Dr. Minali Nigam, was headlined “President Trump is wrong in so many ways about hydroxychloroquine studies. Here are the facts.” This article did not assert that hydroxychloroquine had no value whatsoever as a treatment for the coronavirus disease. Rather, it pointed out four specific ways in which Trump had made claims about hydroxychloroquine studies that were contrary to what doctors were expressing about the subject at the time: 1) How soon until we know if hydroxychloroquine works against coronavirus? Trump says “days.” Doctors say weeks or months. 2) French researchers have already done a clinical study showing hydroxychloroquine works as a treatment for coronavirus. Doesn’t that tell us something? Trump says yes. Doctors say the study was terrible, so no. 3) Have some people tried to delay hydroxychloroquine clinical trials? Trump says yes, and he came to the rescue. Doctors say they have no idea what he’s talking about. 4) Is hydroxychloroquine safe for coronavirus patients? Trump says yes. Doctors say the drug can have serious side effects. The second article, published on July 3 2020, and written by Maggie Fox, Andrea Kane, and Elizabeth Cohen, had its headline deceptively truncated in the above example to remove the skepticism it expressed about a recent hydroxychloroquine study. The full headline read “Study finds hydroxychloroquine may have boosted survival, but other researchers have doubts,” and the text of the article detailed the dispute over the study’s findings: A surprising new study found the controversial antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine helped patients better survive in the hospital. But the findings, like the federal government’s use of the drug itself, were disputed. A team at Henry Ford Health System in southeast Michigan said their study of 2,541 hospitalized patients found that those given hydroxychloroquine were much less likely to die. t’s a surprising finding because several other studies have found no benefit from hydroxychloroquine, a drug originally developed to treat and prevent malaria. President Donald Trump touted the drug heavily, but later studies found not only did patients not do better if they got the drug, they were more likely to suffer cardiac side effects. Researchers not involved in the Henry Ford study pointed out it wasn’t of the same quality of the studies showing hydroxychloroquine did not help patients, and said other treatments, such as the use of the steroid dexamethasone, might have accounted for the better survival of some patients … They noted that the Henry Ford team did not randomly treat patients but selected them for various treatments based on certain criteria. [Eli Rosenberg, associate professor of epidemiology at the University at Albany School of Public Health] also pointed out that the Detroit paper excluded 267 patients — nearly 10% of the study population — who had not yet been discharged from the hospital. He said this might have skewed the results to make hydroxychloroquine look better than it really was. Those patients might have still been in the hospital because they were very sick, and if they died, excluding them from the study made hydroxychloroquine look like more of a lifesaver than it really was.
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32076
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The Amish don’t get autism because they do not vaccinate their children.
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There are many factors that could explain apparent differences between the Amish population and the United States as a whole. These include a potential bias toward increased diagnosis in non-Amish communities, or the fact that the uniquely reduced genetic diversity of the Amish population plays a role.
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false
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Medical, amish, anti-vaccine, autism
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Anti-vaccine advocates have, at least since the early 2000s, used the Amish — a group of insular individuals descended from Swiss Anabaptist immigrants who shun modern technology — as a piece of evidence that links autism to vaccines. This concept gained traction in 2005, when reporter Dan Olmstead conducted a a non-scientific survey in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (which boasts one of the largest populations of Amish people) to find cases of autism. Controversially, he claimed he could find only three, and that two of the three children had received vaccines: So far, from sources inside and outside the Amish community, I have identified three Amish residents of Lancaster County who apparently have full-syndrome autism, all of them children. A local woman told me there is one classroom with about 30 “special-needs” Amish children. In that classroom, there is one autistic Amish child. Another autistic Amish child does not go to school. The third is that woman’s pre-school-age daughter. If there were more, she said, she would know it. This series of stories, published and distributed by the newswire UPI, has been cited in some research papers as if it were an actual scientific study, and is often used as an argument that there is link between autism and vaccines. The argument that near non-existent rates of autism amongst the Amish are related to a failure to vaccinate rests on two assumptions: 1) that the Amish do not vaccinate their children, and 2) that the Amish do not get autism. Both assumptions are false. A 2011 study published in the journal Pediatrics surveyed 1,000 Amish parents about their vaccination habits. Of the 359 people who responded: 68% stated that all of their children had received at least 1 immunization, and 17% reported that some of their children had received at least 1 immunization. These rates are lower than the national average, but to claim that the Amish do not vaccinate their children is false, as a majority of them do vaccinate to some degree. Furthermore, researchers have documented many cases of autism amongst the Amish populations. Researchers from the University of Miami and Vanderbilt University interviewed 1,899 Amish children from two prominent Amish communities in Holmes County, Ohio and Elkhart-Lagrange County, Indiana. In a 2010 presentation to the International Society of Autism Research, they stated: Preliminary data have identified the presence of ASD in the Amish community at a rate of approximately 1 in 271 children using standard ASD screening and diagnostic tools although some modifications may be in order. Further studies are underway to address the cultural norms and customs that may be playing a role in the reporting style of caregivers, as observed by the ADI. Accurate determination of the ASD phenotype in the Amish is a first step in the design of genetic studies of ASD in this population. Additionally, there is an actual clinic (The Clinic for Special Children) devoted to researching developmental diseases in Amish children and this clinic (among many other things) actively researches the occurrence of autism in Amish (and Mennonite) communities. This center is located in Lancaster, PA—the same place that Dan Olmstead searched for cases of Autism in 2005. Counter to the claims that the Amish do not vaccinate and do not get autism are the facts that a majority of Amish people vaccinate their children and that Amish people are, in fact, diagnosed with autism. Though it is true that their vaccination rates are lower, and that — at least according to preliminary studies — their rates of autism occurrence are also lower, this observation in no way validates the idea — popularized by a fraudulent, retracted study by a doctor with a financial interest in promoting a different vaccine — that vaccines cause autism.
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18145
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"Robert Reich Says in Texas ""it's legal to shoot someone who's committing a ‘public nuisance’ under the cover of dark."
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"Reich said that in Texas, ""it's legal to shoot someone who's committing a ‘public nuisance’ under the cover of dark,"" claiming that a recent acquittal hinged on prostitution, that prostitution was a form of public nuisance, and that therefore it’s legal to shoot people creating a nuisance. Legal experts and a lawyer in the murder trial told us Reich was wrong. The verdict hinged on theft; prostitution is not a ""public nuisance"" in Texas; and state law doesn’t say deadly force can be used on people creating nuisances. Notably, too, the law includes many other restrictions on deadly force, not just what type of crime is being committed."
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false
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Legal Issues, Texas, Guns, Robert Reich,
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"Discussing the divide between states red and blue, former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich recently said that Texans are allowed to shoot people who are causing a nuisance. ""If you want to use a gun to kill someone who’s, say, spraypainting a highway underpass at night,"" Reich wrote in a June 8, 2013, blog post at robertreich.org, ""you might want to go to Texas, where it’s legal to shoot someone who’s committing a ‘public nuisance’ under the cover of dark."" Reich, who headed the Labor Department under President Bill Clinton, has a law degree and is now a University of California-Berkeley professor of public policy. He told us by email that he was referring to a June 5, 2013, verdict that got national news coverage, in which a San Antonio jury acquitted a man of murder in the death of an escort he hired from an online advertisement. San Antonio Express-News and KSAT-TV news reports on the trial said defendant Ezekiel Gilbert testified that he had found Lenora Ivie Frago’s ad on Craigslist and believed sex was included in her $150 fee. Instead, she left after about 20 minutes, saying she had to give the money to her driver, Gilbert testified. The driver pulled away and Gilbert shot at the car with an assault rifle. Frago was hit and paralyzed, dying six months later when her family took her off artificial respiration. Gilbert's defense team argued that his actions were justified because he was trying to retrieve stolen property. They said that Frago misled Gilbert when they arranged the transaction, making her refusal to have sex or return his money into theft. Reich disagreed. ""Failure to perform a service that is illegal -- kidnapping a baby, bribing a legislator, delivering cocaine, or providing sex for money -- is not a theft,"" he said. ""Anyone exercising common sense would understand that this was at most a contractual dispute over what he paid for and what she owed him in return,"" he said, later adding, ""It must be that the jury regarded prostitution as a crime, warranting the use of deadly force. But since prostitution is not a crime warranting the use of deadly force -- it is typically prosecuted under nuisance laws,"" the verdict means ""it is permissible in Texas to shoot someone who commits a public nuisance."" In his initial emails to us, Reich said this was the only way to interpret the verdict. He later switched to saying it is ""one way"" to view the decision. Legal experts and Gilbert’s defense lawyer disagreed with him. Bobby Barrera, a defense lawyer for Gilbert, said Reich ""is flat wrong and not even arguably close to accurate on the interpretation of the law."" The law in question is state Penal Code Title 2, Chapter 9, Section 42, which says using deadly force to protect one’s property is justified in limited circumstances, including when the person ""reasonably believes"" such force is necessary to prevent imminent ""theft during the nighttime"" or ""criminal mischief during the nighttime."" Jurors concluded that the ""theft"" justification applied in this case, Barrera told us by phone, because testimony indicated Frago and her driver had a history of taking money from clients who believed they would receive sex in return. ""She was committing a scam,"" he said. Even then, Barrera said, the jury had to find other conditions were met, such as requirements that Gilbert reasonably believed he couldn’t get his money back any other way or without risking injury to himself. ""It is not open season on prostitutes"" or thieves in Texas, Barrera said. ""This has gone, as you know, viral with ‘It’s legal to shoot prostitutes in Texas,’ ‘Stupid Texans and their guns,’ "" he said. ""Nobody wanted to know the truth; they just wanted to conclude what they wanted."" As to shooting someone for committing a public nuisance, Barrera said, ""You cannot under any circumstances do so."" University of Texas law professor George Dix, who specializes in criminal law, told us by email, ""Reich, in my view, is simply wrong."" Frago and Gilbert’s transaction would be theft, Dix said, if Frago did not intend to provide sex at the time she made the agreement with Gilbert. ""What would make this criminal and not merely a civil contract dispute is the misrepresentation by which Frago obtained the money,"" he said. ""In fact, anyone with a basic knowledge of theft law would understand that this could have been theft rather than ‘just’ a contractual dispute,"" Dix said. ""It could be theft under Section 31.02 of the Penal Code if the deceased promised to provide sex for the payment and at that time did not intend to provide that sex if she was paid."" Even so, he said, ""The jury might not have been convinced this actually was theft, but also convinced the state did not prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that it was not theft."" That’s two legal eagles saying that, contrary to Reich’s assertion, the jury didn’t have to consider prostitution as a reason for justifying deadly force. Even if prostitution had been a crucial point, it’s not a ""public nuisance"" in Texas law. It’s classified under ""public indecency"" in Penal Code Title 9, Section 43.02. Public nuisances can be much lesser offenses such as creating noise, Texas District and County Attorneys Association spokesman Clay Abbott told us by phone. Reich’s example of the highway spraypainter bridges the gap: ""Spraypainting would be both a public nuisance and criminal mischief,"" Abbott said. Even if the offense were serious, he said, a jury would have to decide that other conditions were met. To justify deadly force in protecting a third person’s property -- namely, the overpass -- the damage being halted must be so extreme it could never be repaired; the shooter must have no other way to stop the spraypainter without risking injury and must have reasonably believed deadly force was the only way to stop the spraypainter. Spraypaint can be removed or painted over, so the example falls down right there, Abbott said. ""It’s a ridiculous statement."" Dix said, ""I stress this is not an example of a rule that in Texas one can ‘shoot someone who’s committing a ""public nuisance"" under the cover of dark.’ It is an example of a Texas rule providing broadly (and probably unwisely) that one can use even deadly force to protect property from loss or damage."" Like Dix and Barrera, Abbott told us Reich is wrong to say Texans can use deadly force on someone committing a public nuisance. They also emphasized that the existence of a possible legal defense does not mean the shooter would be acquitted or that shooting criminals is the right thing to do. One final point: We wondered why the law specified ""during the nighttime."" Abbott speculated it was a holdover from English common law. Many states once had definitions of burglary with a stipulation about nighttime, which William Blackstone’s 18th-century analysis of English law said makes the crime more serious not so much because daylight is lacking but because ""sleep has disarmed the owner, and rendered his castle defenceless."" Our ruling Reich said that in Texas, ""it's legal to shoot someone who's committing a ‘public nuisance’ under the cover of dark,"" claiming that a recent acquittal hinged on prostitution, that prostitution was a form of public nuisance, and that therefore it’s legal to shoot people creating a nuisance. Legal experts and a lawyer in the murder trial told us Reich was wrong. The verdict hinged on theft; prostitution is not a ""public nuisance"" in Texas; and state law doesn’t say deadly force can be used on people creating nuisances. Notably, too, the law includes many other restrictions on deadly force, not just what type of crime is being committed."
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33690
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The personalities of the dwarf characters in Disney's animated film version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs represent the seven stages of cocaine addiction.
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As for the original example, Walt Disney didn’t “invent” Snow White, of course — the film was based on the European version of that fairy tale as collected by the Grimm brothers over a century earlier. Disney did flesh the story out to feature film length, though, and he was the one who created names and distinctive personalities for each of the seven dwarfs. But the suggestion that the dwarfs’ names correspond (intentionally or otherwise) to the symptoms of various stages of cocaine addiction is bunk. Cocaine addiction might be considered to have identifiable stages, but no standard set of physical symptoms accompanies each stage. Many types of drug abuse (and physical or mental illnesses) can produce symptoms such as changes in sleep/wake patterns (sleepy), mood swings (happy, grumpy), alteration of personality (dopey, bashful), and allergies (sneezy) — eventually necessitating a trip to the doc.
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false
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Disney, disney, drugs, Films
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Our fascination for associating wholesome, innocent icons of popular culture with hidden depravities and unsavory backgrounds seemingly knows no bounds. Thus we have tales that nature-loving pop singer John Denver was a Vietnam-era sniper, that genial children’s TV host Fred Rogers served as a Navy SEAL, that the actor who portrayed geeky Paul Pfeiffer on TV’s popular The Wonder Years grew up to become shock rocker Marilyn Manson, and that the host of Nickelodeon’s preschooler favorite Blue’s Clues died of a drug overdose. As the epitomical producer of popular children’s fare, Disney comes in for more than its fair share of such rumors: scandalous tales about both Walt Disney himself (e.g., that he was booted out of the military, that he was a Nazi sympathizer, that he was an illegitimate child) and many of the films produced by the company he founded. A common motif among Disney legends is the claim that various Disney animated films were drug-inspired; that Disney and his band of animators were users of hallucinogens such as LSD, and their experiences with drugs formed the basis for such fare as the fantasy world of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the colorful visual interpretation of musical themes in Fantasia, and the surreal psychedelia of Alice in Wonderland. On a literal level, not much can be said to address these rumors other than to cite a litany of negative evidence. Walt Disney and his principal animators are well-known figures about whom much has been written, and no one who knew or worked with them claimed (or even suggested) that they partook of recreational drugs. And although drug abuse was enough of a social concern to prompt didactic scare films such as Reefer Madness and The Cocaine Fiends back in the 1930s, the “drug” of choice in Walt Disney’s era was far more likely to have been alcohol than anything else. (Recall that the hallucinatory “Pink Elephants on Parade” sequence in 1941’s Dumbo is triggered when the diminutive pachyderm inadvertently imbibes a tubful of champagne.) As for LSD, it wasn’t even brought to the USA until 1949, too late to have been the driving force behind Disney’s classic animated films (although alternative hallucinogens such as mescaline were certainly obtainable.) Of the notion that the imagination displayed in Disney’s animated films was drug-induced, animator Art Babbitt, who drew the dancing mushrooms in “The Nutcracker Suite” portion of Fantasia, sarcastically quipped: “Yes, it is true. I myself was addicted to Ex-lax and Feenamint.” Drug rumors were undoubtedly fueled because Fantasia and Alice in Wonderland received mixed reviews upon their initial releases, and neither was much of a financial success until their re-releases (and availability as rental films) in the late 1960s and early 1970s drew crowds of college students who found the films’ melding of color, light, music, and imagery made them ideal psychedelic “head” flicks. So much so, in fact, that Disney’s marketing began to pitch these films to such audiences: After [Fantasia‘s] 1969 rerelease proved a cult hit among college-age kids looking for a hallucinogenic experience, conservative groups began picketing movie theaters for screening Disney’s animated “drug fantasies.” Hippie-era moviegoers liked to sit in the front row, even on top of each other, smoking pot and offering advice to Mickey. The company asked the theaters to promote the film not as typical Disney fare, but “now you sell Fantasia as you did Easy Rider. Hip youngsters come to see it as a special kind of trip.” Disney didn’t exactly discourage the connotation. Psychedelic posters and other ad materials featuring Chernobog and the dancing mushrooms called it “The Ultimate Experience,” while the promotional kit quoted one underground review: “Disney’s Fantasia: A Head Classic: Representation of sound as color does resemble tripping on STD, LSD, THC and various other letters of the alphabet.” Long afterwards, fans continued to ask the animators if they were “on something” when they made [Alice in Wonderland]. It’s not such an odd question, considering that all the things in the book and movie that suggest drugs: Alice ingests potions, wafers and mushrooms that change her size or alter her consciousness, her perspective constantly changes, she loses track of time, space and her own identity. There’s the hookah-smoking caterpillar. In fact, the entire story, a dream framed by the “real world,” might be seen as a hallucination or trip. So, it wasn’t surprising that in 1971 Alice in Wonderland was the top renting 16mm film in every college town across the country, playing to capacity crowds in heavy smoke-filled fraternity houses, university theaters, discos and private homes, where it sometimes ran over and over again for an entire weekend. After the smash cult revival of Fantasia, Disney withdrew the 16mm prints of Alice and targeted a 1974 theater rerelease. The studio prepared ads with copy such as “Down the rabbit hole and through the talking door lies a world where vibrant colors merge into shapes of fantasy, and music radiates from flowers,” “Nine out of ten Dormice recommend Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland for visual euphoria and good, clean nonsense,” and “Should you see it? Go ask Alice,” a reference to Jefferson Airplane’s song “White Rabbit.” Also of significance is that all the plot aspects of Alice in Wonderland which “suggest drugs” were present in Lewis Carroll’s original work, and Disney merely adapted them for the screen.
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3346
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Florida hires first mental health coordinator for disasters.
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Florida’s emergency management agency has hired a mental health expert to coordinate services after catastrophes.
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true
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Mental health, Health, Hurricane Michael, General News, Storms, Panama City, Florida, Hurricanes
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Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis on Wednesday said that Darcy Abbott has been hired as Florida’s first mental health coordinator for disaster recovery. In the role, Abbott will help communities hit by disasters obtain mental health services. Florida Division of Emergency Management director Jared Moskowitz says Hurricane Michael last year created a mental health crisis as thousands of residents lost their homes and were displaced. Schools in areas devastated by the Category 5 storm report seeing more children in distress. To address the problem, 63 “telehealth” kiosks were installed in public schools in August so students can speak to a mental health professional remotely.
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33199
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Photographs show a cache of weapons uncovered by the Coast Guard in Greece, disguised as furniture and headed for European refugee camps.
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The smuggled arms had a compelling purported connection to Yavex USA and Fort Meyers, Florida in their September 2016 iteration, and some additional images were added to the original set. However, the original claim and images remained misrepresented, albeit with a novel hook inspiring American social media users to again share the rumor.
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false
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Fauxtography, 2015 refugees, furniture, hellenic coast guard
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In September 2015, social media users in Europe and the United States debated the merits of accepting an influx of refugees from war-torn regions such as Syria. While some expressed sympathy and willingness to help, others fostered and spread rumors claiming asylum seekers were Islamic State operatives in disguise. An expression of the latter viewpoint was published to a Facebook group based in Malta on 13 September 2015, along with three photographs: Users of forums on which the rumors were spread pointed out logical inconsistencies with the information as it was presented, such as the notion that folks fleeing regions beset by war would so soon be sending for the delivery of patio sets via freight: This seems rather strange to me and I’d like to know more, if you have anything further. Such as which refugee camps have been long-enough established and are able to make international orders for plastic furniture? Surely the refugees themselves aren’t ordering it up, and national governments are probably running any refugee camps and Germany is buying IKEYA beds in quantity, in Germany, for example. If a few thousand placcy garden chairs and tables are required, they are widely-available in every country on the planet and are probably manufactured in China and shipped direct from there in sealed containers with a lead time of several weeks. To me this all sounds a little implausible, but I could be wrong, it wouldn’t be the first time. Versions of this rumor were accompanied by still frames taken from the mislabeled video embedded above, which did not depict material being shipped to refugees in Greece (or elsewhere in Europe), but rather embargoed arms being smuggled from Turkey to Libya that were interdicted by the Greek coast guard: Greek authorities have seized a freighter carrying an undeclared shipment of weapons en route from Turkey to Libya, coast guard officials said on Wednesday. A coast guard patrol boat raided the vessel on Tuesday, 20 nautical miles northeast of Crete. The freighter, with a crew of seven and which had sailed from the Turkish port of Iskenderun, was escorted to Heraklion port on the island. The United Nations has imposed an embargo on weapons shipments to Libya, which is plagued by factional conflict. A Turkish foreign ministry spokesman confirmed the cargo included weapons but said it was fully documented and was destined for the Sudanese police force. The vessel was also carrying building materials for Libya, he said. “If investigations by the Greek authorities show that the consignment is going to receivers other than those stated in the documentation, and if that is shared with us, naturally measures could be taken,” foreign ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said. A 6 September 2015 article from the Independent similarly reported that: A huge stash of weapons and ammunition has been found hidden aboard a cargo ship understood to be bound for Libya. Videos released by the Hellenic Coast Guard show officers uncovering the arms, which it said had no accompanying documents and were concealed by furniture and gym mats. So while the photographs shown here were captured from video of a September 2015 Greek coast guard weapons seizure, the arms in question were heading to Libya, not to refugee camps in Europe. In September 2016, the images resurfaced on social media with a slightly different purported context: If you have doubts about Muslim immigration, this might clear them up… Greek Border guards found 52 tons of guns and ammunition in 14 Conex shipping containers disguised as “furniture” for Muslim immigrants. Note the discretion on the outside of the boxes. FOR YOUR INFORMATION–YAVEX USA IS A TURKISH ARMS MANUFACTURING COMPANY THAT IS LICENSED TO DO BUSINESS IN FORT MEYERS, FLORIDA!!! Brand new and still in their wrappers. All Automatic weapons!!! Yeah, keep letting them into our country If this doesn’t convince you that this IMMIGRATION is nothing less than an ARMED INVASION then nothing will. Wonder still why all those young (military age) men without children or wives are taking on the task of traveling all those miles posing as refugees? This is one of the first things I noticed and found odd…..why aren’t these “young men” fighting for THEIR country??? Then the Trojan Horse theory kicked in!!! These are the same tactics they tried to pull when we were in Iraq…nothing has changed!!! Most western nation Main Stream media won’t cover this … SO PLEASE LIKE, SHARE AND RE-POST…
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8104
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Libya confirms first coronavirus case amid fear over readiness.
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Libya confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus on Tuesday, with years of violence leaving its healthcare system highly vulnerable.
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true
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Health News
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The National Centre for Disease Control, which operates in areas controlled by both major sides in the Libyan conflict, gave no further details in its statement on the coronavirus case. However, doctors said the patient was in a hospital in Tripoli. Both the internationally recognised government in Tripoli, in the west, and a rival administration ruling from Benghazi in the east have imposed lockdowns, stopped foreign travel and promised resources for the health service. The eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) has been trying to capture Tripoli since last year. Despite a ceasefire call by the United Nations last week to allow all sides to focus on preparing for the pandemic, fighting has continued, with heavy shelling and clashes on Tuesday. “This is a health system that was close to collapse before you get the coronavirus,” said Elizabeth Hoff, head of mission for the World Health Organization in Libya. Equipment for testing is limited, there is very little protective gear and there is a severe shortage of medical workers, particularly in rural areas, Hoff said. “There is a national plan, but funding has not yet been allocated for implementation,” she said. The committee in charge of fighting the flu-like disease announced early on Wednesday a ban on movement between cities and areas until further notice. A blockade of oil ports by forces aligned with the LNA in eastern Libya has cut off most revenue to the Central Bank of Libya in Tripoli, which funds state institutions and the salaries of public workers across the country. A doctor in a medical centre in Tripoli said she had not been paid since last year. The parallel central bank in Benghazi, set up by the eastern administration, said on Tuesday it paid salaries to government workers in east Libyan areas for the first time this year, but a doctor said no money had arrived in his account. Some medics in Benghazi had refused to work at a hospital over the lack of pay and adequate protective gear, a doctor there said, but the problem was later resolved. In Misrata, a port city held by forces loyal to the internationally recognised government in Tripoli to its west, cleaning companies disinfected parks and public gardens. Volunteers distributed face masks and gloves as people entered banks, where marks on the floor showed where to stand to ensure a safe distance from others waiting in line. “If we sit down and do nothing, waiting for the government, we won’t get any results,” said Taher Alzarooq, a 55-year-old volunteer.
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2050
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Health activists try to attract dentists to rural areas.
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It’s a sacrifice some people make by living in the wide-open spaces: nobody to take care of their teeth.
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true
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Health News
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Dentist Lance Knight examines a patient for photographers during a photocall to launch the new in store dental service at British supermarket Sainsbury's, in Manchester, northern England on September 15, 2008 REUTERS/Phil Noble A shortage of dentists in rural Kansas and other states has left residents with little to smile about. A coalition formed in Kansas is pushing for legislative reforms to attract dental professionals, if not dentists themselves, to underserved areas. Kansas has no dentists in 14 of its 81 counties, leaving those residents with a choice of taking long drives or ignoring their teeth. The first option is expensive and time-consuming, the latter is ill-advised by dentists and doctors. “Dental care is about more than just teeth, it’s about the whole body,” said Stephanie Mullholland of a health care advocacy group called Kansas Action for Children. Poor care of teeth and gums can lead to infections detrimental to the heart and lungs while contributing to diabetes, strokes, low birth weights and other conditions, according to the surgeon general of the United States. The shortage of dentists is national in scope. Part of a recent $130 million package of health care grants announced by the Department of Health and Human Services includes $4.3 million for dental workforce needs in underserved regions. The shortage in rural Kansas is traced to multiple factors. Dentists shy away because of low rates of reimbursement for Medicaid patients, who are numerous in rural areas. Salaries are lower in rural regions. Kansas has no dental school. Finally, the average age of dentists in Kansas is 50. When they retire in rural areas, young dentists don’t replace them. Largely unsuccessful in prior efforts to lure more dentists to rural Kansas, the coalition called the Kansas Dental Project is now pushing for state legislation to allow licensing of “dental therapists” who would not only clean teeth but do extractions and fillings. They would work under the supervision of dentists, although the dentists may be in distant offices. Dental therapists could help address the dentist shortage the way licensed practical nurses filled a need in the 1950s and 1960s for medical care in areas without doctors, Mullholland said. “We use mid-level providers extensively on the medical side,” said Cathy Harding, executive director of the Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved. “Dental therapists care for patients in the same way on the dental side.” Dental therapists are used in Alaska and in more than 50 foreign countries, she said. Various states have taken different approaches. Maine voters just approved a $5 million bond issue to build the state’s first dental school and help dental clinics around the state. Other states have tried mobile dental clinics, offered college tuition and salary incentives for would-be dentists, and set up bi-state tuition and license reciprocity agreements.
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10186
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Massage Therapy May Boost Immune System to Combat Cold, Flu
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Man has deep tissue massage on the back.This news release from the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) encourages people to seek out massage therapists in order to fend off seasonal colds and flu, since regular massages “make the immune system stronger,” the release says. To support this point, the news release cites three studies from 2001, 2004 and 2010 and talks vaguely about the results of each trial. Sweeping, empty language is used, such as “enhanced immune function” and “significant changes,” without further elaboration. Hardly any data is given, including how many people participated in each study, what exactly the trials measured, the extent of the benefits and for how long each trial ran. And how does the AMTA know that these effects were due to the massage therapies themselves and not other factors? It is also unclear what exactly is newsworthy about this topic, since all of the studies took place years ago. More importantly, the release makes sweeping assumptions between what was actually studied (and in what population) and their recommendations for the general population about “seasonal diseases.” Even without looking at the original studies, this is sloppy and done haphazardly. Note: For a deeper dive into this issue, take a look at Tim Caulfield’s recent post on Immune Boost Bunk. People often seek alternative therapies to stay healthy, especially during flu season. This may be especially important for those who have compromised immune systems and those who could be more affected by the flu, such as young children and the elderly. But it’s always concerning when professional organizations tout approaches that aren’t backed by solid evidence. This has the potential to steer people away from prevention methods that are actually shown to be effective.
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false
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Association/Society news release
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Since there was no mention of costs in this news release. It would have been helpful to readers to discuss the approximate cost of a massage session, which can vary widely depending on the region, therapist and setting. The Center for Spirituality & Healing at the University of Minnesota estimates the national average for an hour-long massage to be about $60. Many people may wonder if their insurance policy would cover a massage therapy session. Insurance companies rarely pay for massage therapy, particularly for indications that aren’t backed by science or evidence. The news release cited three studies, but descriptions of the research were too vague to be helpful. Readers aren’t given any benefit data or any quantitative estimate on how well massage therapy actually works. We don’t know how many participants were in each trial and who actually benefited from massage therapy. The release alludes to the fact several times that the immune system became stronger, but how was this measured? There are also non-specific references to the benefits of massage therapy, such as increasing the activity of white blood cells and reducing anxiety levels, but again, we don’t know who actually benefited and by how much. When we looked at the studies cited we were surprised to find that none of them related to massage therapy for reducing rates of the “common cold, flu and other seasonal illnesses,” as claimed in the release. The first study was from 2010 and is described by its authors as “preliminary” work that looks at a “single-session comparison of Swedish Massage Therapy with a light touch control condition” measuring “Oxytocin (OT), arginine-vasopressin (AVP), adrenal corticotropin hormone (ACTH), cortisol (CORT), circulating phenotypic lymphocytes markers, and mitogen-stimulated cytokine production.” This study is far removed from patient-oriented, or even disease-oriented outcomes, and has nothing to do with their sweeping comments that massage may fend off flu and the common cold. The second study (from 2001) involved 12 HIV patients. It’s hard to see how the results from this study translate to healthy individuals seeking relief from seasonal colds and flu. The third study (from 2004) enrolled 34 women with breast cancer whose outcomes following massage were “reduced anxiety, depressed mood, and anger. The longer term massage effects included reduced depression and hostility and increased urinary dopamine, serotonin values, NK cell number, and lymphocytes.” Again, this study does not provide evidence for the news release’s claims. Although massage is generally considered a “safe” therapy, it is still an intervention and not free from risk, particularly among those with musculoskeletal issues. Massage can cause soreness and also directly cause new injuries, exacerbate existing problems, distract patients from more appropriate care and mildly stress the body. Since harms were not mentioned at all in the news release, we give it a Not Satisfactory rating here. The news release provides only the bare bones of the clinical studies. We have no idea who participated in each trial, how many people participated, what each trial was aiming to study and for how long patients were followed up. There is no mention of the studies’ limitations or their design. The language used in the news release is also vague and unclear. For example, “Massage therapy increases the activity level of the body’s white blood cells,” and “Regular massages have been shown to make the immune system stronger, according to studies.” How did the activity level of white blood cells increase and to what extent? What exactly does it mean to “make the immune system stronger?” The quote from the president of ATMA is very problematic as well, generalizing from those with “compromised immune systems” to the general population, saying “Those same benefits translate to people seeking to fight off the common cold, flu and other seasonal illnesses.” This statement has no scientific validity according to the studies that they are citing. The news release does not commit disease mongering, although it would have been helpful to learn more about conditions that compromise patients’ immune systems. The news release doesn’t list who the funders were for each study and whether there were any conflicts of interest. The release is clearly identified as coming from a professional association and it’s evident its purpose is to drive new customers toward association members. The release included no discussion of other alternatives to prevent the flu, common cold or other infectious diseases that are common in the fall and winter months. The Centers for Disease Control recommends an annual flu shot, washing hands and frequently cleaning touched surfaces and objects. England’s National Health Service also recommends a healthy lifestyle, such as a wholesome diet, regular exercise and drinking plenty of warm fluids in the winter months. Most people are aware that massage therapy is widely available nationwide. However, the news release provides a link to the American Massage Therapy Association’s locator service, presumably dues-paying AMTA members. Massage therapy is not a novel intervention in general but the authors of the news release make novel claims that it is an immune enhancer, and that it can prevent the flu and the common cold, which is not backed up by science. We feel the language was unjustifiable due to its ambiguity, and some wording bordered on sensational. Phrases such as “significant changes,” “rapid responses” and “immediate massage benefits” don’t inform the reader if no scale is given. Some additional examples of inappropriate language:
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42010
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NYC To Ban Hot Dogs and Processed Meats To Improve Climate
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Headlines shared widely on social media misleadingly tell readers New York City will “ban” hot dogs. A city spokesman told us a plan to phase out government purchases of processed meats and reduce purchases of beef “would not impact hot dogs” sold “at baseball games, street vendors, restaurants, etc.”
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false
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climate change, environment,
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Headlines shared widely on social media misleadingly tell readers New York City will “ban” hot dogs. A city spokesman told us a plan to phase out government purchases of processed meats and reduce purchases of beef “would not impact hot dogs” sold “at baseball games, street vendors, restaurants, etc.”New York City recently unveiled what it has dubbed its own “Green New Deal” — a reference to congressional Democrats’ proposal to address climate change.The city’s plans are part of a larger effort known as “OneNYC 2050,” which also touches on issues such as economic inequalities and health. The initiative calls for a “nearly 30 percent additional reduction in emissions by 2030.” It contains numerous components – including a mandate that large buildings cut emissions, or face penalties, and a goal to “convert government operations to 100 percent clean electricity.”But in some circles on social media, thousands of users shared headlines zeroing in on one supposed target of the plan: hot dogs.“NYC To Ban Hot Dogs and Processed Meats To Improve Climate,” reads the misleading headline posted on a network of radio websites.At least 20 various iHeart.com pages published the same story, which has an equally disingenuous opening sentence: “New York City is the first city in the United States to eliminate processed meats.”In reality, the changes outlined apply only to meat purchases by the city government.“This policy would apply only to City purchases. The plan is to phase out completely purchases of processed meats by agencies, and reduce how much agencies spend on beef by 50 percent,” a city spokesman, Phil Ortiz, told FactCheck.org in an email. “This would affect, for example, hamburgers in NYC public school lunches. It would not impact hot dogs at baseball games, street vendors, restaurants, etc.”It’s not clear when the changes would be made; we asked and Ortiz said: “We will have more to say about the implementation in the coming weeks.”The iHeart.com story only hints at what is truly happening in the second paragraph, which says: “The plan will cut purchases of red meat by 50 percent in its city-controlled facilities such as hospitals, schools, and correctional facilities.”Other websites, such as thedcpatriot.com, carried similarly misleading headlines. And another post that appeared on an iHeart.com website — “NYC Banning Hot Dogs As Part Of Green New Deal” — further distorts the facts.“Could this be the end of the dirty water dog?” it reads. “Who doesn’t love a dirty water dog before or after a show in the city … What are your thoughts on this proposed ban on hot dogs and processed meats?”The full “OneNYC report” report doesn’t even specifically mention hot dogs. It does, however, repeatedly note that the changes regarding processed meats and beef relate to city operations.The report states at one point that the city will lead “by example on climate change by ending City purchases of unnecessary single-use plastic foodware and phasing out the purchase of processed meat, cutting beef purchasing in half.”It also notes that processed meat “has been linked with increased risk of cancer and is often high in saturated fat and sodium which is linked to heart disease. Processed meat will be replaced by healthier proteins, including an increase in plant-based options.”The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, does indeed categorize processed meats as a “Group 1” agent, which it defines as being “carcinogenic to humans.”“In the case of processed meat, this classification is based on sufficient evidence from epidemiological studies that eating processed meat causes colorectal cancer,” also known as colon cancer, the WHO reports.While “Group 1” also includes tobacco smoking and asbestos, the WHO notes that being in the same classification “does NOT mean that they are all equally dangerous.” Instead, the classification is based on “the strength of the scientific evidence about an agent being a cause of cancer, rather than assessing the level of risk.”Red meat, meanwhile, is listed in “Group 2A” — “probably carcinogenic to humans.” On that, the WHO says “the classification is based on limited evidence from epidemiological studies showing positive associations between eating red meat and developing colorectal cancer as well as strong mechanistic evidence.”Livestock do indeed affect climate change, as we’ve reported before. Cows, for example, produce and release methane, a greenhouse gas, as a result of digesting food. Almost a third of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture are methane production from livestock. Methane is about 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a century.Editor’s note: FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on the social media network. Our previous stories can be found here.“Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1—123.” International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization. 25 Mar 2019.McDonald, Jessica. “The Facts on the ‘Green New Deal.’” FactCheck.org. 15 Feb 2019.“OneNYC 2050: Building a strong and fair city.” City of New York. April 2019.Ortiz, Phil. Assistant Director for external affairs, NYC Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency. Email to FactCheck.org. 25 Apr 2019.“Q&A on the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat.” World Health Organization. October 2015.
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11037
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Hope for breast cancer patients
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"The story reports on lapatinib (trade name Tykerb) – a tailored treatment for advanced Her-2/neu breast cancer. Several times in this piece this recently approved drug is called a ""breakthrough"". This is hyperbole and premature as this drug has not been studied in large numbers of women outside of clinical trials. The trial described in this story was stopped early due to the positive effect of the drug, so there is not yet long-term data to declare this drug a ""breakthrough"", especially as we do not have evidence this drug helps women with metastatic breast cancer live longer than with other therapies. It is noteworthy that the patient profiled in this story was also used for a similar ABC News story on the approval of lapatinib. Coincidence? Or did drug company PR people and/or hospital PR people offer journalists the same woman because of her overwhelmingly positive experience with the drug? The story also quotes the woman's doctor who was involved in the lapatinib study and has an interest in the positive outcome of the study. Other medical opinions are needed for this piece to provide balance, as we are only given the pros or taking this new drug which is again touted by this doctor as a ""major medical breakthrough"". The story does not mention the potential harms of this newer treatment, but relies on one patient's testimony that she has ""experienced no side effects"". In clinical trials of lapatinib, side effects reported included: gastrointestinal problems, and hand-foot syndrome which may include numbness, tingling, redness, swelling and shortness of breath. More serious, but rare reports of heart failure (in most cases reversible) were also reported in clinical trials. The story also does not list the incidence of side effects common among women who took lapatinib with capectabine (Xeloda) – another cancer drug. The failure to include comments about the side effect profile of Xeloda is significant. The story says that the woman profiled ""had no other options"" but to take the drug. This woman did have the option to forego further treatment for her metastatic cancer. The side bar describing different pharmaceutical therapies used in breast cancer treatment is a good addition to this story. Lastly, The story should have included the cost of this new drug, which is $2,900/month and the fact that it is approved for use with another drug – capecitabine (Xeloda). Xeloda costs about $1,500/month. The story does not mention if the new drug is covered by Medicare or private health insurance."
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mixture
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"The story should have included the cost of this new drug, which is $2,900/month and the fact that it is approved for use with another drug – capecitabine (Xeloda) – which costs about $1,500/month. The failure to include comments about the side effect profile of Xeloda is significant. The story does not mention if the new drug is covered by Medicare or private health insurance. The story provides no quantitative evidence on the benefits of lapatinib over other targeted therapies for aggressive breast cancer. The story does not mention the potential harms of this newer treatment, but relies on one patient's testimony that she has ""experienced no side effects"". In clinical trials of lapatinib, reported side effects included: gastrointestinal problems, and hand-foot syndrome which may include numbness, tingling, redness, swelling and shortness of breath. More serious, but rare reports of heart failure (in most cases reversible) were also reported in clinical trials. We are not told just how long a woman needs to take lapatinib. There is some quantitative evidence from one clinical trial presented in this story, but it is incomplete. We are told that of 160 women, those who took lapatinib with a chemotherapy drug had double the time to recurrence (8.5 vs. 4.5 months with chemotherapy alone); however, we are not told of the trial design, how many women took lapatinib or their relative and absolute reduction in the risk of recurrence. We are told that there is no proven survival benefit from the drug, but the story relies heavily on one woman's testimony as well as that of her personal physican who also was also involved in the lapatinib study. Both are far from un-biased sources on this new treatment. Additionally, lapatinib is a new drug. The trial desribed was stopped early due to the positive effect of the drug, so there is not yet long-term data to declare this drug a ""breakthrough"", especially as we do not have evidence this drug helps women with metastatic breast cancer live longer than with other therapies. The story does not engage in disease mongering as this drug is only for women with the HER2/neu gene, which means they have a more aggressive form of breast cancer in which cancer cells make too much of a certain protein. The story quotes a physician who was involved in the lapatinib study and has an interest in a positive outcome. Other medical opinions are needed for this piece to provide balance, as we are only given the pros of taking this new drug touted by one of the researchers involved in the trial, who called it a ""major medical breakthrough"". The story does mention Herceptin, chemotherapy and other drugs as treatments typically used prior to lapatinib in women with metastatic cancer. The story also mentions that lapatinib is given in combination with a chemotherapy drug. The story does say that the woman profiled ""had no other options"" but to take the drug. This woman did have have the option to forgo further treatment for her metastatic cancer. The side bar describing different pharmaceutical therapies for breast cancer is a good addition to this story. The story mentions recent FDA approval of lapatinib and that it is expected to be on the market this year. The story mentions that lapatinib (Trade name Tykerb) in various combinations – with and without Herceptin – is a tailored treatment for advanced Her-2/neu breast cancer. The story references the drug as a ""breakthrough"" several times. This term may be premature and hyperbole as this is a very new drug and has not been studied in large numbers of women outside of clinical trials. We can't be sure if the story relied solely or largely on a news release. We do know it was based on the story of one woman and her doctor, who was involved in the trial. It is noteworthy that the patient profiled in this story was also used for a similar ABC News story on the approval of lapatinib. Coincidence? Or did drug company PR people and/or hospital PR people offer journalists the same woman because of her overwhelmingly positive experience with the drug?"
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1743
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Fear, hope mark life inside Ebola center in Sierra Leone: Witness.
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It’s moments like this that I fear most. A woman with Ebola is wandering around naked and screaming. A confused and potentially aggressive patient with a highly infectious, deadly disease — separated from me only by my yellow protective bodysuit.
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true
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Health News
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I heard the commotion while I was working with patients in the High Risk zone, the area of the treatment center reserved for confirmed Ebola cases. The screaming woman had left High Risk and was heading for the Low Risk zone where Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) staff do our paper work. When I came outside, she lay down on the concrete floor under the glare of the scorching sun and rolled around moaning. She was not aggressive, just distressed. With the help of a Sierra Leonean staff member, I protected her head from the hard, concrete floor and carried her to bed. It was hot work in our sweat-proof suits. When I asked if she was in pain, she pointed to her chest, and said: “My father died, my mother died, my sister died, children died.” But I had nothing to cure a broken heart or a crushed soul — only a gentle hand on her arm, a blanket and a sedative. Each medical round is filled with sad stories and practical challenges. With so many patients, you can lose track of time while helping someone to drink, providing an intravenous line for another, finding comforting words or pain relief for another still. If we discover a patient who has died, we straighten the body out before rigor mortis sets in. Patients often die with contracted limbs, making it hard to fit them into the body-bag. Since it began its Ebola intervention in March, MSF has set up six Ebola centers like this one in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and Mali, with a total capacity of more than 600 beds. Each day when I enter the Bo center, in southern Sierra Leone, the first thing I do is take a look over the whiteboards filled with patients’ names. Five weeks ago there were three boards. Now there are seven. With more than 60 patients and high turnover due to admissions, discharges and deaths, it’s hard to keep track of everyone. So we use a color code to rank them in severity. In recent days, the red marker pen, for severe, has been getting a lot of use. I try to organize the medical team early in the shift so we can get as much done before the sun is high. Entering the High Risk area requires what’s called Personal Protective Equipment. It’s heavy, and to work in the West African heat wearing this is incredibly hard. The center is set up to minimise risk of infection. In the High Risk area, we work through a one-way system, starting with patients awaiting test results and ending with those confirmed to have Ebola. That way we don’t risk infecting with Ebola someone who has another disease, like malaria. With a Sierra Leonean colleague, I go to see the patients inside the “suspect” area. One girl today is a colleague’s daughter. Ebola is not just something that happens to other people here. It has struck family, friends and staff too: MSF has some 300 international workers in the region but it relies on 3,100 locally hired people too. Inside the next area — for patients who probably have Ebola — the patients are visibly sicker. Their test results are still awaited but they have enough signs and contact history for us to make a calculated judgment. Among them is a two-year-old girl. She is lying on the bed working hard to breathe. I gently wake her and help her to take a few sips of water. With so many patients I cannot spend long with her so I make a note for insertion of an intravenous line and move on. The final area, for patients confirmed with Ebola, is made of three large, long white tents. Most patients are well enough to walk outside to talk with an MSF colleague who sits across the plastic orange fence that separates High Risk from Low Risk. I am only seeing those who cannot get out of bed, and today there seem to be many. Once my shift is over, I head to the fence and call out the details of patients I’ve seen. They must be written down by someone on the other side of the fence because nothing I use in High Risk can come out. I then go for decontamination — a system of undressing under direct observation, with intermittent chlorine washing. Once I am out, I hear that three more patients have died since I began the round. They include the two-year-old girl. It is only 10 a.m. The rest of the day comes with highs and lows. Every day we discharge a group of survivors. This happens to the banging of drums and blowing of horns and reminds us this is also a place of life, and resilience. Each survivor receives counselling and support to prepare them for re-entry to the world outside. Since March, nearly 1,900 people have been discharged from MSF’s centers — almost half of the approximately 4,000 people who have tested positive for Ebola in them. It’s a remarkable achievement against a disease that has no known cure. But the arrival of ambulances from across the country quickly fills any spaces emptied by death or discharge. Ebola is now spreading faster in Sierra Leone than anywhere else and despite repeated calls for more treatment centers, the country remains woefully under resourced. Until we can break the chain of transmission, days like this will continue everyday.
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27578
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A 2016 bill before the Kentucky legislature would have required men to get their wives' permission before obtaining a prescription for Viagra or other erectile dysfunction drug.
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As expected, after being sent to committee on 16 February 2016, HB 396 never saw the light of day again, until it reappeared a year later, presumably initially driven by social media shares by people who did not realize the story was from 2016, not 2017.
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true
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Politics
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In mid-February 2017, several online news outlets (including Fox59.com and NBC4i.com) published articles reporting that a bill introduced in the Kentucky legislature would require that every man seeking a prescription for Viagra or other erectile dysfunction drug be legally married, secure permission from his wife, consult with a doctor twice, and swear on a Bible that it will only be used while having sexual relations with his spouse before the medication can be prescribed. The reports are factual, but based on events that occurred 12 months earlier. The bill, HB 396 (“An Act Relating to Prescription Drugs for Erectile Dysfunction”), was introduced on 11 February 2016, the same day Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin (R) signed a controversial “informed consent” law requiring women to consult face-to-face with a doctor at least 24 hours before having an abortion. Rep. Mary Lou Marzian (D) of Louisville told the Courier-Journal she authored the legislation “to protect these men from themselves.” Marzian, an abortion rights supporter, was one of only three members of the Kentucky House of Representatives to vote against the informed consent law, which had been defended on similar grounds. For those who may have missed the point, Marzian explained in a subsequent interview that she came up with the Viagra bill as a sarcastic way to conveying a serious message: And so how has this bill been received by your colleagues? I think some people consider it to be a joke. Is it a joke? Actually, it’s tongue-in-cheek, but it’s a very serious issue. Do we want government inserting itself, do we want our government telling people what to do with their personal, private decisions? Do I want Gov. [Matt] Bevin, do I want the Senate, the House of Representatives for that matter, national folks and all of the Republican candidates are anti-choice and saying they want to stop abortion? But this is a safe, legal procedure, and women are moral people and they can make a decision. We can make a decision for ourselves without any of these males telling us that we need to have two visits, we need to have an ultrasound, we need to understand what we’re doing. Because we’re smart enough and we know what we’re doing, and it’s insulting and demeaning to women to have all of these obstacles for us to have to jump through.
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8946
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Mailed HPV tests can help find women at-risk for cervical cancer, study finds
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The release focuses on a recent “proof-in-principle” study that found it is feasible to use at-home testing kits to screen low income women with limited access to medical care for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which can lead to cervical cancer. The release could do more to clarify the sensitivity and specificity of the screening tools, but does a good job of making clear that more work needs to be done before this approach could be deployed on a broad scale. As the National Cancer Institute notes, virtually all cervical cancers are caused by HPV — with most of them being caused by certain strains of HPV. And early diagnosis of HPV infection can help to prevent cancers, or allow patients and healthcare providers the warning they need to monitor for cervical cancer. That makes screening for HPV important, and especially so for patients with limited resources who may not have regular access to healthcare providers for screening or regular check-ups. And those at-risk communities are precisely who this study was trying to address. It’s important to make clear — as this release does — that cost remains a challenge, and that regulatory barriers remain. Most importantly, the release stresses that more work needs to be done before this approach to screening moves from theoretical to practical.
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true
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Cervical cancer,HPV testing,University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
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The release does not place a pricetag on HPV screening — which would include the test kit, analysis and follow-up clinical visit. However, the release does explicitly say that “there is more work to be done, such as identifying ways to make the self-collection process more efficient and cost-effective.” That acknowledgment is enough to earn it a satisfactory rating here. This is a tricky question, as it is not clear how one should define the relevant benefit. The paper itself defines the goal of the study as evaluating the “validity and acceptability” of at-home self-collection of samples for HPV screening. If part of assessing “acceptability” was determining whether mailing self-collection kits improved screening rates, should the benefit be defined as successfully submitting a sample for screening? If so, the release failed, since it doesn’t even tell readers how many women received screening tests through the mail (284 women, according to the related paper). However, validity is easier to address. How well did the at-home, self-collected samples compare to other screening tests? The release does address this head on. It states that the at-home, self-collected test indicated 12.4% of women had high-risk HPV infections. In-clinic, self-collected tests indicated 15.5% had high-risk HPV infections. And clinician-collected tests indicated 11.4% of women had high-risk HPV infections. Those are hard numbers, and we’ll give the release the benefit of the doubt on this one. However, those three different numbers raise some questions, which the release doesn’t do a good job of addressing. More on that below. The release did not address two key potential harms, namely the failure to identify someone who has high-risk HPV, and the “false positive” misdiagnosis of people who did not have high-risk HPV. This is the difference between “sensitivity” and “specificity.” It’s particularly relevant in this instance because HPV screening has a track record of problems with both specificity and sensitivity— and because the release itself makes clear that there were people diagnosed as at high risk in some of the screening tests, but not others. Missing someone who is at high risk is clearly problematic. But being told that one faces significant medical risks that one does not actually face can also have ramifications for future healthcare, with consequences both physical and financial. Another potential harm could be having a certain rate of patients sending in the test but not following up, leaving clinicians with positive tests and patients lost to follow up which would skew the impact of the screening effort. This boils down to a very simple problem: the release gives readers key information and then fails to explain it. This concern is in regard to the lack of comparison in screening results across three types of tests: at-home, self-collected tests indicated 12.4% of women had high-risk HPV infections; in-clinic, self-collected tests indicated 15.5% had high-risk HPV infections; and clinician-collected tests indicated 11.4% of women had high-risk HPV infection. To most readers, the difference between 11.4% and 15.5% seems like a lot — more than 4%. If they were to do the math at home, they’d see that eight people (out of 193) were diagnosed as being at high risk in one scenario, but not in another. What gives? But the release only addresses this with a quote saying “We found comparable detection between self-collection and physician-collection.” That’s not helpful. In addition, the release refers more than once to the fact that “all women found to have high-grade cervical lesions…were positive for high-risk HPV in their home self-collected sample.” But the release doesn’t tell them that this group consisted of fewer than 10 people, or the extent to which that may be extrapolated to a larger population. In short, it’s important to address sensitivity and specificity when writing about a diagnostic tool. HPV — particularly certain strains of HPV — can significantly increase risk for cervical cancer. There’s no doubt about that. However, not all women who contract HPV will get cervical cancer. There’s no doubt about that either. In fact, the CDC notes that 80 percent of women have contracted HPV by the time they are 50, yet the National Cancer Institute estimates that less than one percent of women will contract cervical cancer in their lifetime. It can be difficult to highlight the importance of HPV screening without edging into “disease mongering” territory. This release walks up to the line, but doesn’t cross it. The release includes information about not only sources of funding, but also sources of research equipment — which is really good to see. The release also includes clear information regarding potential conflicts of interest. The release compares screening test results across three scenarios, including the standard screening protocol of on-site, clinician-collected sampling. It’s clear from the release that at-home, self-collected screening samples are not even close to being adopted for widespread use. It’s clear that this was a proof-of-concept study aimed at evaluating a new technique to improve patient access to HPV screening. The release doesn’t indulge in hype or over-selling the findings.
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39728
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A forwarded email encourages readers to “think before you donate” to non-profit groups. It makes a number of claims about the salaries of CEOs and the use of donor dollars.
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"""Think Before You Donate"" Email's Claims about Charities- Fiction!"
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false
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9/11 Attack on America
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This forwarded email makes outdated or false claims about which non-profit groups you should avoid. The efficiency and effectiveness of charitable groups is an important consideration for donors. But any claim that a non-profit group dedicates 100 percent of its donations to its mission is false. Every group has to pay overhead costs for things like employee salaries and fundraising initiatives, but some groups do a better job of managing those costs. This email typically begins recirculating each holiday season. In 2016, it began circulating under the healdine” Christmas is Coming — Donating Items or Money to Charities … Which ones?” But the “new” email was just the same list of outdated and inaccurate claims that you’ll find below. TruthofFiction.com looked at each of the eRumor’s claims and used the most recent available tax information to determine whether they are true or false. Here’s our findings: American Red Cross President and CEO Marsha J. Evans’ salary for the year was $651,957, plus expenses – Fiction! This claim is untrue and outdated. Evans stepped down as the president and CEO of the American Red Cross in 2005. In 2013, American Red Cross President and CEO Gail McGovern was paid a $517,000 salary in 2015, which was about .01 percent of the organization’s expenses. Charity Navigator rated the American Red Cross’s overall performance at 83.33 out of 100. March of Dimes is called the March of Dimes because only a dime for every $1 is given to the needy – Fiction! This claim is false. In 2014, March of Dimes reported generating about $195.8 million in revenue, and about 66 percent of that amount went to program expenses directly supporting its mission, 22 percent went to fundraising, and just about 10 percent went to administrative expenses. The charity ran a $7.9 million deficit for the year. Charity Navigator rated March of Dimes’ overall performance at 71.86 out of 100. This claim wasn’t accurate in 2012, when the email first went viral, either. That year March of Dimes reported about $205 million in revenue. Administrative expenses totaled about $23 million, and the organization spent about $196 million on fundraising and programming (it ran a $12 million deficit in 2012). March of Dimes dedicates much more than 10 percent of its revenue to the needy. United Way President Brian Gallagher receives a $375,000 base salary, plus benefits – Fiction! Gallagher’s salary is actually was actually much higher in 2014 than reported in the email. He was paid $1.3 million, which accounted for about 1.4 percent of the nonprofit’s total expenses. Still, Gallagher’s salary wasn’t out of line with the CEOs of similarly sized organizations. Charity Navigator rated the United Way’s overall performance at 92.99 out of 100. UNICEF CEO Caryl Stern receives $1.2 million per year, plus expenses and use of a Rolls Royce – Fiction! This claim is false. Stern earned a $476,000 base salary in 2013 and about $515,000 in 2015, accounting for 0.09 of the organization’s total expenses. UNICEF also said it does not provide a Rolls Royce, or any company car, for its staff. Charity Navigator rated UNICEF’s overall performance at 85.64 out of 100 in 2015. Goodwill CEO Mark Curran takes in $2.3 million per year – Fiction! This claim is false. Mark Curran has never been the CEO of Goodwill Industries International. That position is held by Jim Gibbons, and he earned $585,604 in reportable compensation and $126,598 in “other compensations” from the organization in 2015, according to tax forms. Goodwill Industries says 83 cents of every dollar it receives go to programs and services for people in need. Salvation Army Commissioner Todd Bassett earns $13,000 per year – Fiction! This claim has persisted for years, and it’s false. Todd Bassett retired from active service in 2006. Before that, Bassett and his wife received $79,389 per year in salary and $53,468 in benefits, the organization reports. In the most recent financial disclsoures, William A Roberts, the organization’s chief executive, earned $131, 243 in compensation and benefits. About 18 percent of the Salvation Army’s revenues are spent on administrative costs. American Legion’s top commanders receive no compensation – Fiction! This claim is false. A tax form reveals that its top officers received about $201,000, $152,000 and $162,000 in compensation in 2009. The organization does not make more detailed information about program expenses available. Veterans of Foreign Wars national commander receives no salary – Fiction! VFW National Commander Richard Eubank received a $238,221 salary in 2009. Richard Freiburghouse, manager of the VFW Foundation, also earned $75,000 that year. The group spends about 8% of its revenues on administrative expenses. Disabled American Veterans national commander receives no salary – Fiction! Ronald Hope, a veteran of the Vietnam War, is listed as the national commander of DAV, and his salary information isn’t made clear in tax documents. But J. Marc Burgess is the national adjutant and chief executive of the organization, and his compensation is listed at about $319,000 per year. Charity Navigator rated DAV’s overall performance at 91.25 out of 100. The Military Order of Purple Hearts
National Commander receives no salary. The Military Order of Purple Hearts does not include salary information for its national commander in its tax documents. The group paid Stephen Ruckman, its chief financial officer, about $150,000 in 2009. That year, the group also reported a $40,000 severance payment to its former executive director. Vietnam Veterans Association national commander receives no salary- Fiction! There is no known Vietnam Veterans Association; Vietnam Veterans of America appears to be the closest match. In 2009, the group paid President John Rowan $69,874 and CFO Joseph Sternberg $137,000, according to tax documents. The group does not make more detailed financial information available online. Make-A-Wish Foundation dedicates 100% of funds to programs – Fiction! It’s not true that the Make-A-Wish Foundation has no overhead or administrative costs. The organization dedicates about 73.3% of revenues to programs. Meanwhile, administration accounts for 11.3% of its spending, and fundraising initiatives account for about 15.4%. David A. Williams, the president and CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, earned $479,676 in 2013. Charity Navigator rates the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s overall performance 81.31 out of 100. St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital dedicates 100% of funds to programs for children – Fiction! This claim is false. St. Jude’s spent less than 70% of its budget on programs for children in 2013. Administration accounted for 10% of the organization’s spending and fundraising accounted for 20%. Charity Navigator rates St. Jude’s overall performance 86.63 out of 100. Ronald McDonald House dedicates all donations to programs – Fiction! The Ronald McDonald House operates very efficiently, but this claim is false. The organization dedicated about 89 percent of its budget to programming in 2013. Administration accounted for less than 1%, and fundraising accounted for about 9% of its operating budget. Charity Navigator rates the Ronald McDonald House’s overall performance at 97.72 out of 100. Lions Club International dedicates 100% of donations to the blind, deaf and measles vaccinations- Fiction! This claim is false. Lion’s Club International dedicates about 83% of its budget to programs for the blind, deaf and others. Administration accounts for about 8% and fundraising accounts for about 7% of its total budget. It is true that the Lion’s Club International has launched a worldwide measles vaccination campaign. Charity Navigator rates the Lion’s Club International’s overall performance 90.84 out of 100. Comments
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7021
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Poll: Young Americans overwhelmingly favor LGBT rights.
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Young people in America overwhelmingly support LGBT rights when it comes to policies on employment, health care and adoption, according to a new survey.
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true
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Health issues, AP Top News, AP Politics, Health, Gender issues, Adoption, U.S. News, United States
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The GenForward survey of Americans ages 18-30 found that support for those policies has increased over the past two years, especially among young whites. But relatively few of these young adults consider rights for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender to be among the top issues facing the United States. According to the findings, 92 percent of young adults support HIV and AIDs prevention, 90 percent support equal employment, and 80 percent support LGBT adoption. Across racial and ethnic groups, broad majorities support training police on transgender issues, government support for organizations for LGBT youth and insurance coverage for transgender health issues. GenForward is a survey by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The first-of-its-kind poll pays special attention to the voices of young adults of color, highlighting how race and ethnicity shape the opinions of the country’s most diverse generation. In the past two years, support has increased from 69 percent to 84 percent among young whites for policies such as allowing gays and lesbians to legally adopt children. Support among this group for employment equality for LGBT individuals rose from 84 percent to 92 percent. The poll also suggests support for allowing adoption by gays and lesbians has increased among Hispanics over the past two years, from 65 percent to 75 percent. Christie Cocklin, 27, a self-identified multiracial American from Providence, Rhode Island, says that LGBT rights are just common sense. “People who don’t identify as heterosexual are human like we are, and should be entitled to the same kind of rights,” she said. “I have friends who are LGBT and I feel that it’s discrimination to not allow them adoption or employment or whatever.” Young Asian-Americans, African-Americans and Latinos are more likely to support insurance coverage for transgender health issues in general than when certain specifics are mentioned. Eighty-three percent of Asian-Americans support insurance coverage for transgender health issues, but only 63 percent say so when gender reassignment surgery and hormone treatments are specifically mentioned. Similarly, support for insurance coverage drops from 69 percent to 57 percent among African-Americans, and from 74 percent to 57 percent among Latinos. Sixty-two percent of young whites favored insurance coverage of transgender health issues regardless of whether that specifically included gender reassignment surgery and hormone treatments. While young Americans favored LGBT rights on every issue in the poll, only 6 percent, including fewer than 1 in 10 across racial and ethnic backgrounds, consider the LGBT rights one of the top issues facing the country. Among those who self-identified as LGBT, 17 percent said it is one of the country’s top issues. The poll of 1,940 adults age 18-30 was conducted July 9-20 using a sample drawn from the probability-based GenForward panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. young adult population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. The survey was paid for by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago using grants from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation. Respondents were first selected randomly using address-based sampling methods, and later interviewed online or by phone. ___ Online: GenForward polls: http://www.genforwardsurvey.com/ Black Youth Project: http://blackyouthproject.com/ AP-NORC: http://www.apnorc.org/
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1571
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Your inhaler's watching you: drugmakers race for smart devices.
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Makers of inhalers to treat asthma and chronic lung disease are racing to develop a new generation of smart devices with sensors to monitor if patients are using their puffers properly.
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true
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Health News
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Linked wirelessly to the cloud, the gadgets are part of a medical “Internet of Things” that promises improved adherence, or correct use of the medication, and better health outcomes. They may also hold the key to company profits in an era of increasingly tough competition. Drugmakers believe giving patients and doctors the ability to check inhaler use in this way could be a big help in proving the value of their medicines to governments and insurers, though they need to tread carefully on data privacy. GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca and Novartis are all chasing the opportunity via deals with device firms including U.S.-based Propeller Health and Australian-listed Adherium, as well as technology players like Qualcomm. Over the past half century, inhalers have revolutionized care by delivering medicines direct into the lungs and avoiding the serious side effects seen with older oral drugs. But getting patients to take their medication correctly remains a challenge. “Technique is critical. You might have the world’s best blockbuster drug in an inhaler, but if patients don’t use it properly they won’t get the benefits,” said Omar Usmani, a consultant physician at Imperial College London. With asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affecting about 500 million people worldwide, the opportunity is large, and reducing serious attacks by improving adherence could save $19 billion a year in U.S. healthcare costs alone, Goldman Sachs analysts estimated in a report last year. Usmani envisages a future of high-tech inhalers that not only record doses but also use gyroscopic and acoustic sensors to check medicine flow, while monitoring the environment for allergens such as pollen. All that data can be fed to remote computer servers known as the cloud. It is an idea big drug companies have embraced enthusiastically, in the knowledge that they need to find new ways to sell their products as cheap generics undercut long-established brands. The first generic copies of GSK’s Advair, the world’s biggest inhaler with worldwide sales of nearly $6 billion in 2015, are expected to reach the U.S. market next year. “It’s a race to the starting line,” Propeller CEO David Van Sickle told Reuters, describing the current jockeying among leading pharmaceutical firms. “Today, there is really no major respiratory pharma company that doesn’t have a program to add connectivity to their inhaled medicines.” The field is now at an inflection point. Some inhalers with clip-on sensors are already being supplied to patients, but the drug industry is about to take things to the next level. Next month, AstraZeneca will start a year-long U.S. clinical trial designed to improve adherence to long-term therapy in nearly 400 patients with COPD using Adherium’s smart inhaler. If it works as hoped, it could have the same impact on improving clinical outcomes as a completely new medicine, according to Martin Olovsson, AstraZeneca’s head of respiratory inhalation. “Many asthma and COPD patients are misusing their medicines, for various reasons - they forget to take them or they don’t understand how to take them properly - and the result of that is less than optimal outcomes,” he said. “This offers a chance to change that dramatically.” Last year, a smaller study reported in the journal Lancet Respiratory Medicine already showed Adherium’s device increased adherence to preventative medication to 84 percent from 30 percent in New Zealand children with asthma. Now, with bigger studies, drug companies plan to dig deeper. “There is still quite a lot of work to be done to understand which type of patients will benefit most,” said Raj Sharma, director of respiratory science and delivery systems at GSK, which is also planning clinical trials. GSK, the respiratory market world leader since launching the Ventolin inhaler in 1969, signed a deal last December for Propeller to develop a customized sensor for its next-generation Ellipta inhaler. While current smart inhalers use a clip-on device to send data, Novartis, working with Qualcomm, aims to go a step further by developing the first inhaler with an integrated sensor, which it aims to launch in 2019. Generic drugmakers are also moving into the space, with Britain’s Vectura, one of the companies behind generic Advair, signing a deal with Propeller in May and Teva acquiring smart inhaler firm Gecko Health last year. Current add-on sensors cost between $10 and $30 to produce and last up to two years, according to Propeller’s Van Sickle, but the pharmaceutical industry plans to include them in deals struck with healthcare providers by promising overall savings due to fewer hospitalizations. Usmani, the Imperial College consultant, believes proving the cost-effectiveness of a connected device is the key challenge for smart inhalers, along with reassuring patients that their medical records are secure. Research by Usmani and colleagues suggests younger patients, familiar with online banking and digital apps, are broadly happy to engage but older patients are more cautious.
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12084
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Private insurance companies in this country spend between 12 and 18 percent on administration costs. The cost of administering the Medicare program, a very popular program that works well for our seniors, is 2 percent. We can save approximately $500 billion a year just in administration costs.
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"Sanders said, ""Private insurance companies in this country spend between 12 and 18 percent on administration costs. The cost of administering the Medicare program, a very popular program that works well for our seniors, is 2 percent. We can save approximately $500 billion a year just in administration costs."" Government and independent researchers corroborate the percentage figures Sanders cited, but the researchers who came up with the $500 billion savings admitted that ""any such estimate is imprecise."" Also, the administrative costs of private insurance and Medicare cover different types of costs. Experts told us that a single-payer system for the United States would have lower administrative costs than today’s private insurance, but it likely wouldn’t be able to achieve administrative costs as low as the existing Medicare program. Finally, the figures are misleading because lowering administrative costs wouldn’t necessarily lower overall costs. In fact, administrative costs sometimes help make the delivery of health care more efficient."
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mixture
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National, Health Care, Medicare, Bernie Sanders,
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"Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said that switching to a single-payer ""Medicare for all"" health system would save billions of dollars in administrative costs. ""Private insurance companies in this country spend between 12 and 18 percent on administration costs,"" Sanders said on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sept. 17. ""The cost of administering the Medicare program, a very popular program that works well for our seniors, is 2 percent. We can save approximately $500 billion a year just in administration costs."" Administrative costs are the expenses incurred by medical insurers that are not strictly medical, such as marketing, customer service, billing, claims review, quality assurance, information technology and profits. Is the gap between private and public health insurance providers’ administrative costs really that high? Most experts agreed the numbers looked about right. But because of key differences between Medicare and private insurance, the trade-off isn’t as simple as Sanders suggests. First, we’ll break down the numbers. To measure the administrative costs for Medicare, we turned to the 2017 Annual Report of the Boards of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds -- the document prepared by Medicare’s fiscal overseers. The trustees’ summary listed total Medicare expenditures of $678.7 billion for 2016, of which $9.2 billion was characterized as ""administrative expenses."" That works out to 1.4 percent, which is even lower than what Sanders stated. That covers salaries and expenses, patient outreach, and fraud and abuse control by the Health and Human Services, Justice Department and FBI, among other things. But because much of Medicare piggybacks off Social Security, other administrative costs such as enrollment, payment and keeping track of patients are left to the Social Security system. That’s one of multiple reasons using the current administrative costs for Medicare wouldn’t translate as cleanly if the entire population were to be covered. (Medicare serves those over age 65 currently; Sanders would like to see all Americans covered by a similar program.) Experts told us we could safely assume private insurance costs, on the other hand, are much higher, though actual spending estimates vary. Average insurers’ overhead costs are about 12.4 percent, according to an April 2017 Annals of Internal Medicine article by Steffie Woolhandler and David U. Himmelstein. A February report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research totaled overhead costs for private individual and employer based plans at 12.3 percent in 2015. And America’s Health Insurance Plans found that 17.8 cents of every premium dollar goes to operating costs. But those are averages looking across health care markets. When the Congressional Budget Office broke those costs down, they put administrative costs in the nongroup market at 20 percent, small-group market at 16 percent and the large-group market at 11 percent. Federal caps on administrative costs reflect this range. Group market insurers have a 15 percent cap and individual market insurers have a 20 percent cap. If exceeded, insurers have to pay a rebate to policyholders under the Affordable Care Act. The difference is still pretty substantial, though. Historically, administrative expenses were much higher in the commercial market because insurers did a lot of underwriting, or using the health status of individuals or groups to determine their premiums. The Affordable Care Act was designed to curb that spending. On top of that, experts explained that unlike Medicare, private insurers take on more responsibility than simply paying claims or occasionally going after fraud. Before a claim is even filed, they check its appropriateness, assess whether it is medically necessary, and whether it can be done in a cheaper way (outpatient versus inpatient care, for example). ""Medicare has been trying in fits and starts to look a little more closely at how it pays claims but generally speaking, it is passive in processing claims,"" Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University. In addition, private insurers create provider networks, which is where they determine which doctors will offer which services under each plan and negotiate reimbursement rates. They also review which drugs will be most effective and affordable. ""Not all carriers are doing this effectively, well or thoughtfully, but when they do, it lowers the overall system costs,"" Corlette said. But a lot of administrative costs go to marketing, because private health insurers have to compete for clients. That’s something Medicare doesn’t have to deal with, and which wouldn’t be a problem with a similar universal health plan. That also explains why there’s more leeway in the individual market costs, as it’s more expensive to target a new individual customer than groups. Sanders cited Woolhandler and Himmelstein’s article estimating $504 billion in savings from converting to a single-payer system. But the article’s authors admitted that ""any such estimate is imprecise"" and cited other research placing the number closer to $383 billion. Experts say a single-payer system would save a substantial amount of administrative costs, but the right kind of administrative expenses may actually lead to cost savings and improved outcomes. Sherry Glied, the dean of New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, said using administrative costs as a share of spending, rarely done in other industries, isn’t a very useful measure of efficiency. Glied pointed out that private Medicare Advantage plans are ""pretty competitive with traditional Medicare,"" but also tend to operate at higher administrative costs. ""They bring costs down in other ways but they have to use administrative spending to do that,"" Glied said. Robert Book, a health economist at the right-leaning American Action Forum, also argued that expressing administrative costs as a percentage of overall spending on health care is misleading in the case of Medicare, as the overall health care costs will be inherently larger when dealing with the disabled and over-65 population, artificially deflating the amount spent on administering that care. Sanders said, ""Private insurance companies in this country spend between 12 and 18 percent on administration costs. The cost of administering the Medicare program, a very popular program that works well for our seniors, is 2 percent. We can save approximately $500 billion a year just in administration costs."" Government and independent researchers corroborate the percentage figures Sanders cited, but the researchers who came up with the $500 billion savings admitted that ""any such estimate is imprecise."" Also, the administrative costs of private insurance and Medicare cover different types of costs. Experts told us that a single-payer system for the United States would have lower administrative costs than today’s private insurance, but it likely wouldn’t be able to achieve administrative costs as low as the existing Medicare program. Finally, the figures are misleading because lowering administrative costs wouldn’t necessarily lower overall costs. In fact, administrative costs sometimes help make the delivery of health care more efficient."
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29182
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One-third of the caravan migrants have HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, or chicken pox.
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What's true: Several migrants housed in Tijuana waiting to cross the border were diagnosed with tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS or chickenpox. What's false: According to news reports, among the roughly 6,000 migrants housed at a stadium in Tijuana, only three cases of tuberculosis, four cases of HIV/AIDS, and four cases of chickenpox were confirmed.
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false
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Politics, daily wire, honduran caravan
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On 29 November 2018, a number of right-leaning websites published misleading headlines proclaiming that a whopping one-third of migrants who had traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border with a Central American caravan were suffering from serious communicable illnesses. Articles published by sites including Daily Wire and Lifezette carried misleading headlines such as “One-Third of Migrant Caravan Sick: HIV, Tuberculosis, Chickenpox.” However those articles did not support what their headlines implied. Those articles were cribbed from a 29 November 2018 Fox News report that quoted a health official in Tijuana. Although the report stated that roughly one-third of the caravan migrants were being treated for unspecified health complaints, only a handful were actually suffering from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis or chickenpox: The spokesman told Fox News that out of 6,000 migrants currently residing in the city, over a third of them (2,267) are being treated for health-related issues. There are three confirmed cases of tuberculosis, four cases of HIV/AIDS and four separate cases of chickenpox, the spokesman said. At least 101 migrants have lice and multiple instances of skin infections, the department’s data shows. That’s not to say health concerns relating to the migrants were not dire, however. The Associated Press reported that a common affliction among them was respiratory infection, and it was feared that crowded and unsanitary conditions could give rise to other serious medical issues. Many migrants also had injuries associated with walking great distances: Miguel Angel Luna Biffano, a health volunteer with the Nazarene Church Compassion Ministries, which has been accompanying the caravan since the migrants crossed into southern Mexico, said his aid group was dealing with lice and nit infestations as well as many respiratory infections. In the tropical south they had mostly treated dehydration and feet damaged and blistered from walking hundreds of miles. “The overcrowding here causes them to get into places where they shouldn’t like under the bleachers” where it’s filthy, Luna said. “There’s overcrowding and very few hygiene norms. … With the water and the cold there are going to be too many infections, a lot of fevers. There is going to be a need for antibiotics.” Meantime, officials in Tijuana were warning that the city couldn’t afford to care for the thousands of migrants much longer. The migrants had been housed at a sports stadium in Tijuana near the U.S.-Mexico border, many of them in a state of limbo waiting on U.S. authorities to let them cross into San Diego and give provide them a chance to make their cases for asylum. Most had traveled north with a caravan that originated in northern Honduras on 12 October 2018, and the fact that some of them had medical complaints was no surprise considering they had traveled largely on foot through Guatemala and Mexico. The caravan was the target of myriad conspiracy theories and misinformation and was regularly invoked as a scare tactic in the lead-up to the November 2018 U.S. midterm elections. Politicians referred to it as an “invasion,” and the U.S. government sent thousands of active duty soldiers to the border to support immigration authorities. Fear-mongering about the caravan vacillated between characterizing migrants as “gang members and some very bad people” and referring to them as sickly and diseased.
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2043
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Teen birthrate hits new low amid overall drop.
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The U.S. teen birthrate dropped to its lowest level in the seven decades government researchers have been tracking it, government researchers said on Tuesday.
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true
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Health News
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Babies born to American teens aged 15 to 19 fell 6 percent to a record 39.1 births per 1,000, according to preliminary numbers released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The decline cut across racial and ethnic lines, as birth rates for younger and older teens and for Hispanic, white, black, American Indian or Alaska Native and Asian or Pacific Islander teenagers all hit historic lows in 2009. The team at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, which is based on nearly 100 percent of birth records collected in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, also showed drops in the overall fertility rate — the average number of births that a group of women would have over their lifetimes — and the total number of U.S. births. The study also found that the total number of babies born to unmarried women fell last year, the first drop since 1997. But because total births dropped even further, the percentage of births to unmarried mothers rose slightly in 2009. Babies born to women in their 20s fell 7 percent last year, marking the biggest drop in this age group since 1973. Birth rates also fell for women in their late 20s and 30s. But the rate for women in their early 40s rose slightly in 2009. Among the other findings: * Pre-term births fell for the third straight year in 2009 to about 12.2 percent of all births. * The proportion of babies born by Caesarean delivery rose to a record high of 32.9 percent in 2009 from 32.3 in 2008, reflecting a steady increase since 1996, when the rate was 20.7 percent. * The number of low birthweight babies held steady in 2009 at less than 8.2 percent, down slightly from the record high of 8.3 in 2006. The full report is available at www.cdc.gov/nchs
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13111
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"James Quintero Says that when San Francisco banned plastic grocery bags, ""you saw the number of instances of people going to the ER with things like salmonella and other related illnesses"" spike."
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"Quintero said that when San Francisco banned plastic grocery bags, ""you saw the number of instances of people going to the ER with things like salmonella and other related illnesses"" spike. This declaration relied on a study that took a correlation between ER cases and San Francisco’s phased-in bag ban to declare ties between the reported illnesses and the ban. However, the county raised serious questions about the study methodology and conclusions, which were overly simplistic."
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false
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Environment, Health Care, Public Health, Texas, James Quintero,
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"Reused grocery bags made Californians sick, a conservative Texas analyst suggested. James Quintero, director of the Center for Local Governance at the Austin-based Texas Public Policy Foundation, brought up health implications of shoppers reusing bags during an Oct. 10, 2016, SXSW Eco panel discussion. ""There are health consequences in that,"" Quintero said. ""I believe this is in San Francisco: When they enacted their bag ban, you saw the number of instances of people going to the ER with things like salmonella and other related illnesses—you saw that number spike."" Someone on the panel responded: ""Wait, that’s curious. I never heard that before."" Quintero replied: ""So you have a reusable bag, right? And then of course, people don’t clean out these bags. So when you mix meat with vegetables and fruits and other goods, and you don’t clean out that bag on a regular basis, then people are susceptible to foodborne illnesses."" Take note: Health authorities recommend you wash bags regularly used to carry meats and vegetables. For this fact check, we were curious about what happened when San Francisco banned plastic bags. Quintero cites professors’ paper We asked a foundation spokeswoman, Caroline Espinosa, to share the basis of Quintero’s claim. By email, Espinosa pointed us to a November 2012 paper, ""Grocery Bag Bans and Foodborne Illness,"" by Jonathan Klick and Joshua Wright, law professors at the University of Pennsylvania and George Mason University, respectively. In their write-up, posted by a University of Pennsylvania research center, the authors noted that San Francisco County barred large supermarkets and pharmacies from using ""non-compostable plastic checkout bags,"" effective Oct. 20, 2007. In 2012, the county’s board of supervisors ""expanded the non-compostable plastic checkout bag ban to cover all retail and food establishments in"" the county, effective Oct. 1, 2012, the paper says, also requiring stores to charge at least a dime for any bag provided. ""To analyze emergency room visits,"" the authors wrote, ""we used the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development’s Emergency Department and Ambulatory Surgery Data for each quarter from 2005-2010. These data provide the county of residence of each person admitted to a California ER, as well as the principal diagnosis for the individual using ICD-9 codes. Given the prevalence of coliform bacteria, especially E. coli, in reusable grocery bags, we focus on ER visits involving E. coli,"" the two said. And? The San Francisco bag ban is ""associated with a statistically significant and particularly large increase in ER visits for E. Coli infections. We find increases between one fourth and two thirds, suggesting an increase in visits between 72 and 191 annually,"" the paper said. All told, the authors said, the bag ban there is ""associated with a 46 percent increase in deaths from foodborne illnesses. This implies an increase of 5.5 annual deaths for the county."" On the other hand, the study’s small sample size make ""any inferential claims"" tentative, the authors wrote. We emailed and telephoned each professor and didn’t hear back. San Francisco County memo Hunting perspective, we then ran the authors’ names through the Nexis news database. That query led us to a March 2013 story posted by Texas-based D Magazine stating a San Francisco health officer had spelled out flaws in the professors’ paper. That story included a web link to a Feb. 8, 2013, memo from a San Francisco County health officer, Tomás Aragon, to Eileen Shields, a county public health information officer. The memo said the county Department of Public Health had reviewed the professors’ paper which, the officer noted, ""has not been submitted for rigorous scientific peer review and publication."" Generally, the memo states, ""Klick & Wright’s conclusion that San Francisco’s policy of banning of plastic bags has caused a significant increase in gastrointestinal bacterial infections and a ‘46 percent increase in the deaths from foodborne illnesses’ is not warranted."" One weakness, the memo says, was that the professors presumed a link between reusable bags and a seeming spike in gastrointestinal bacterial infections--yet they failed to establish the link. ""Drawing causal conclusions from this type of study is called an ‘ecological fallacy,’"" the memo states. ""The basic study flaw is that persons that use reusable bags frequently may not be the same persons that were diagnosed with gastrointestinal bacterial infections in their study. This is the reason epidemiologists will not use ecological studies to test causal hypotheses. At best, ecologic studies raise epidemiologic causal hypotheses but cannot test them."" The memo continues: ""In testing causal hypotheses, it is necessary to measure the outcome (gastrointestinal infections) and exposure to the putative cause (reusable bags) in the same persons. Because of their study design, this was not possible."" Also, the memo says that in ""testing causal hypotheses, it is necessary to ‘control for’ alternative causal explanations (called ‘confounders’). Because of their study design, this was not possible. For example, gastrointestinal bacterial infections are not only caused from contaminated food, but also from contaminated water, improper food handling or preparation, or from person-to-person spread (such as sexual activity, especially in men who have sex with men). In any causal study, investigators always adjust for the ‘usual suspects,’"" the memo says. Moreover, the memo notes that the study’s focus on illnesses identified in emergency rooms misses that people seek care at other places--or not at all--leaving the data incomplete. Alternatively, the memo says, laboratory-confirmed diagnoses reported to the health department are ""the proper basis for surveillance of microbiological data on these infections in our population."" The official went on to say there had been increases in some illnesses oft linked to food. Specifically, according to the memo, health department data show an increase in campylobacteriosis, one of the most common causes of diarrheal illness. Then again, the memo says, there was no detected increase in salmonellosis or enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, which is transmitted by food or water contaminated with animal or human feces. ""Interpreting these changes is not straightforward,"" the memo continues. ""The epidemiology of enteric pathogens in San Francisco differs compared to surrounding counties because we are an urban center with a larger population of ethnic immigrants and men who have sex with men (MSM),"" the memo states. ""Research studies need to adjust for these population differences."" The memo also disputes the professors’ conclusions about deaths going up after the bag ban, mostly by declaring that 111 of the 140 San Francisco deaths from 2001 through 2010 figuring into the paper were attributed to Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile--an intestinal infection most commonly tied to exposure to antibiotics, particularly among hospitalized patients. ""Foodborne exposures is not yet an established cause of C. difficile enterocolitis, but is an active area of research,"" the memo says, going on to say the authors shouldn’t have included C. difficile deaths in their analysis. Summing up, the memo says ""the idea that widespread use of reusable bags may cause gastrointestinal infections if they are not regularly cleaned is plausible. However, the hypothesis that there is a significant increase in gastrointestinal foodborne illnesses and deaths due to reusable bags has not been tested, much less demonstrated in this study. It would be a disservice to San Francisco residents and visitors to alarm them by claiming that it has been. It could be useful, however, to remind people to use safe food-handling practices, including maintaining the cleanliness of everything they use to transport, handle, and prepare food."" We asked San Francisco County if there had been any response by the professors to the county’s memo. Nancy Sarieh of the public health department told us by email: ""They did respond. We agreed to disagree and they have not updated their paper."" In February 2013, we otherwise noticed, commentator Debra J. Saunders of the San Francisco Chronicle quoted Klick saying he cannot ""rule out the possibility that there was something peculiar that happened in San Francisco."" A Texas expert Separately, we asked Dr. Philip Huang, the medical director for the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department, to take a look at the paper posted by Penn plus the San Francisco County memo. Huang said by phone that the Penn paper, limited to ER admissions, missed the fact that individuals who take sick from food are treated by private doctors or don’t even seek health care. Notably too, Huang said, the researchers failed to consider the health surveillance data later cited by the county. ""I mean, who knows? You can get a spike"" in illness ""and there could have been something else going on in the community that is totally unrelated,"" Huang said. ""I think the people who are closest to the data in their own community would have the best perspective."" From ER admissions alone, Huang said, ""certainly the data is not there to make any conclusions about this."" Foundation notes other accounts Next, we circled back to Espinosa, the foundation spokeswoman, about the memo disputing the professors’ analysis and Huang’s comments. By email, Espinosa pointed out a 2011 peer-reviewed study, partly supported by the American Chemistry Council, finding that among reusable bags randomly collected from consumers entering grocery stores in the San Francisco area, Los Angeles and Tucson, E. coli were identified in 8 percent of bags plus a ""wide range of enteric bacteria,"" according to the authors including Charles P. Gerba of the University of Arizona. ""When meat juices were added to bags and stored in the trunks of cars for two hours, the number of bacteria increased 10-fold, indicating the potential for bacterial growth in the bags,"" the authors wrote. ""Hand or machine washing was found to reduce the bacteria in bags by > 99.9%. These results indicate that reusable bags, if not properly washed on a regular basis, can play a role in the cross-contamination of foods. "" Espinosa also noted a May 2012 Los Angeles Times news story describing an Oregon outbreak affecting nine soccer players who had come in contact with a reused grocery bag. The story said one of the girls got sick shortly after arrival, from a norovirus she presumably acquired prior to the trip, Dr. Kimberly K. Repp of the Oregon Health and Science University and Dr. William E. Keene of the Oregon Public Health Division reported in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. ""The sick girl was then isolated in the room of one of the chaperones,"" the Times reported. ""Nonetheless, eight other girls became ill. The investigation showed that the virus was found on a reusable grocery bag that had been used to store snacks for the team. It had, unfortunately, been stored in the bathroom,"" the story said. When the sick girl used the bathroom, the norovirus was aerosolized and deposited on the bag, where it was later transferred to other girls when they got snacks. Our ruling Quintero said that when San Francisco banned plastic grocery bags, ""you saw the number of instances of people going to the ER with things like salmonella and other related illnesses"" spike. This declaration relied on a study that took a correlation between ER cases and San Francisco’s phased-in bag ban to declare ties between the reported illnesses and the ban. However, the county raised serious questions about the study methodology and conclusions, which were overly simplistic. – The statement contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression."
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10440
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New migraine cure? Forehead lift surgery helps patients
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This story suggests there may be a miracle cure for migraine headaches that has yet to make its way into the evidence base of the American Academy of Neurology 2007 guidelines on migraine headache. The newscast includes a brief interview with a single patient whose debilitating migraines (“something of a nightmare”) responded to no previous treatment, but disappeared after she had a forehead lift. (“It was a gift. And it gave me my life back.”) It also features a single expert, a plastic surgeon who performs facelifts and is the lead author of a recent randomized trial comparing plastic surgery to sham surgery for migraine. The news story cites the surgeon’s study as evidence, but leaves out important details. Fully 35% of people who received surgery had complications–including “a slight degree of temple hollowing,” intense itching, persistent forehead numbness and neck stiffness, “slight asymmetric eyebrow movement,” and temporary hair loss or thinning—but the newscast ignores these. It also fails to note an intriguing placebo effect in the trial—people also improved if they received sham surgery for migraines. Why is that? Other questions remain unanswered: Is it possible to reliably select people for this procedure—a process that requires an expert to identify a single or predominant trigger site for patients’ migraines? Is it possible to truly blind people to a treatment that includes a forehead lift? What does the procedure cost? Why doesn’t it eliminate headaches in the other 43% who get facelifts? Aren’t there other treatments we should know about—including lifestyle changes, physical and psychological treatments, and first-line migraine-specific drugs (see “Treatment Options”)? To our eye, it seems likely the report will send migraine sufferers running to plastic surgeons for facelifts, despite its (slightly disingenuous?) claim to the contrary.
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false
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"There is no mention of cost. The newscast accurately states that 57% of people who received facelifts reported complete relief from migraine. But it neglects to mention the average follow-up was one year (potentially important), and ignores altogether the patients in the sham surgery group—many of whom also got better with fake facelifts. Yet the story refers to the approach as a ""cure."" In the newly published randomized trial, 49 people received plastic surgery. The authors of the study reported adverse effects of surgery in 17 of them (35%)—but not one is mentioned in the newscast. Among them: 10 people (20%) suffered “a slight degree of temple hollowing”; two (4%) suffered intense temporary itching; one person (2%) had persistent forehead numbness one year later; one (2%) had “slight asymmetric eyebrow movement,” one (2%) had temporary hair loss or thinning, and one (2%) had persistent neck stiffness at one year. The news story cites a study by its surgeon expert but, oddly, underplays both its strengths and weaknesses: it is a double-blind, sham-controlled, randomized trial comparing fake facelifts (incisions only) to real ones. (Plast Reconstr Surg 2009;124:461) The newscast leaves the viewer with the impression that the study is probably a case series with a much weaker design. And it fails to ask key questions, such as whether the diagnostic criteria (which rely on identifying trigger sites for migraine) are validated and reliable, or whether it is possible to truly blind people to a treatment that might alter their appearance. The diagnosis and treatment of migraine is extremely complex, and a report that glosses over its subtleties may mislead viewers. The story appears to accurately represent the high prevalence of migraine in the U.S. when it says, “There are migraine sufferers in one out of every 4 households in this country.” According to the American Academy of Neurology, the prevalence is 18% among women and 6% among men. However, by focusing on a single person with intractable migraines, it fails to tell us anything about the natural course of headaches in the majority of migraine sufferers, or point out that migraines represent only a small fraction of all chronic headaches. The sources for the newscast are just 2 people—a woman whose facelift successfully relieved her migraines and the surgeon who performs these procedures and wrote the study about facelifts for migraine headaches cited in the story (clearly not a disinterested party). The story fails to represent the points of view of the 43% of people who did not experience migraine pain relief after their facelifts or of experts who could place this research into the much broader context of the migraine literature. The story fails to note that most mild-to-moderate attacks of migraine respond to simple analgesics, and most moderate-to-severe attacks can be treated with migraine-specific drugs (e.g. triptans). Other options include lifestyle changes (addressing potentially provoking factors such as sleep deprivation, stress, caffeine, smoking, diet, and alcohol) and nonpharmaceutical therapies (e.g. relaxation therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, acupuncture, cervical manipulation, the herb feverfew, and the dietary supplements magnesium and vitamin B). The story is not clear on how widely available this “treatment” is. It would appear to require the team efforts of a neurologist and plastic surgeon. The treatment is not mentioned in the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2007 evidence review and guideline on migraine headache (http://www.neurology.org/cgi/reprint/55/6/754.pdf). The newscast suggests that this is a new treatment for migraine headache – referring to it as a ""new migraine cure."" However, published research on the treatment goes back nearly a decade. So it is neither new nor a cure. We can’t be sure of the extent to which the segment may have relied on a news release. We do know that the story had only one expert voice – the study author – and no independent perspectives."
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24647
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In North Carolina, they used stimulus money to hire one new state worker. His job, apply for more stimulus funds from the taxpayers by the way of the federal government.
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Boehner claims city uses stimulus money to hire someone to apply for more stimulus money
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false
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National, Economy, Stimulus, John Boehner,
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"And now, the story of little Washington meets big Washington. In a tongue-in-cheek Web ad from House Republican leader John Boehner, the GOP ""releases the dogs on the money trail"" to find jobs created by the Obama-backed economic stimulus package. Ellie Mae, the GOP's job-sniffing bloodhound, found two things of interest. We dealt with one, the impact of a federally funded bridge on Rusty's Backwater Saloon in Stevens Point, Wis., with this Truth-O-Meter ruling . Here we'll address Ellie Mae's discovery that ""in North Carolina, they used stimulus money to hire one new state worker. His job: apply for more stimulus funds from the taxpayers by the way of the federal government."" Which brings us to little Washington ... Washington, N.C., population around 10,000. This small city in the inland coastal region of North Carolina first came under the national microscope with the release of a report from Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., called ""100 Stimulus Projects: A Second Opinion."" At No. 65 on Coburn's list of questionable stimulus projects: ""Washington, North Carolina, is using stimulus funds to pay for 'project-funding manager' whose job it is to secure even more stimulus funds. The city hopes to pay the new 'project funding manager' to identify available stimulus money using a $40,234 grant from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program which, in turn, received funding through the stimulus bill."" We called Washington, N.C., city officials to get to the bottom of this. First off, the city of Washington did hire someone in late February whose job it is to seek out stimulus money for which the city might be eligible. The part-time job was titled ""stimulus coordinator"" and was performed by Bianca Gentile. But Gentile wasn't paid through stimulus money. Her wages have been ""100 percent paid with local fire, police, water utility, sewer utility and electric utility funds,"" according to the City Manager James C. Smith in a letter to the Office of Economic Recovery and Investment in North Carolina. The city's top priority these days is building a new police station. The current building is more than 40 years old. It's ""way too small for the size of our force,"" said Mayor Judy Jennette. And it's also prone to flooding during hurricanes, which is especially troublesome because the city's 911 dispatchers are housed there too. The estimated cost — $12 million. With 24 percent of Washington's citizens categorized as low income, Jennette said, the price tag is just too steep for local taxpayers to bear alone. One of the stimulus opportunities identified by Gentile, the city-paid stimulus coordinator, was a planner who could help the city gets its police station. The city applied for — and got — an Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant for $40,234 to fund the one-year cost of a Law Enforcement Economic Assistance Coordinator. The stimulus did provide $2 billion to the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program, so the Boehner ad (and Coburn's report) is correct in saying the position was funded through the stimulus. But the idea that the job can be summarized as simply to ""apply for more stimulus funds,"" is incorrect, Washington, N.C., officials said. Here's how the job description reads: ""Under limited supervision, (the coordinator) facilitates and conducts research and statistical analysis related to police and municipal programming. This includes the preparation of various reports, departmental strategic plans and programmatic/project evaluations and reports. The LEDP initiates, conducts, and implements research studies and surveys in support of multiple grant programs to provide a basis for management control, decision making and an improved quality life. Performs related duties as assigned."" There are then nine bulleted items under ""duties, functions and responsibilities."" We won't bore you with all of them, but among them are compiling data for reports on police performance and community development initiatives and attending conferences, conventions and other educational and professional meetings to keep updated on planning methods and administration. And yes, part of one bullet notes that the coordinator will ""provide narrative material for grant proposals."" In other words, he or she will pursue federal grant money to help offset the cost of the police station. But Gentile and other city officials say they're not aware of any stimulus money the city could get for that purpose. Rather, according to Gentile and the mayor, the coordinator will likely target grant funding and/or low-interest loans from USDA, FEMA, Homeland Security and federal and state sources. The job has nothing to do with getting stimulus money, said Gentile, who plans to apply for the job. ""To the best of my knowledge, there is no stimulus money available that we could use for a police station,"" Gentile said. Any responsible local government would try to find as much outside grant money as it can, said Mayor Jennette: ""We are simply trying to build a new police station as cost effectively as we can for our citizens."" We'll concede that the ad is catchy. It ridicules the stimulus as wasteful and ineffective. And it would be a great zinger if indeed stimulus money had been used to hire someone to get more stimulus money. But that's not supported by the facts. Yes, the city of Washington, N.C., got $40,234 in stimulus money to pay for an employee whose job, in part, will be to pursue federal grant money to help offset the cost of a new police station. But there's a difference between federal grants and the stimulus, and city officials say there doesn't appear to be any stimulus money available for this project. So the ad has a catchy line, but it's not true."
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25964
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Republican Party of Wisconsin Says “Democratic Mayors in some of Wisconsin's largest cities closed voting locations in April to cause chaos.”
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Milwaukee and Green Bay, both led by Democratic mayors, operated just a fraction of their typical polling places in the April 7 election. But the decision to do so stemmed largely from coronavirus concerns and a shortage of poll workers. The Wisconsin GOP also failed to provide proof that the Democrats would’ve benefited from any chaos on election day.
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false
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Elections, States, Wisconsin, Republican Party of Wisconsin,
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"As state and local officials gear up for a historic election in November, many haven’t forgotten the tumult surrounding Wisconsin’s spring contest. The April 7, 2020 election made national headlines as Republicans and Democrats sparred over whether to hold an in-person election in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. When the lawsuits ended and election day came, some voters waited in line for hours as municipalities contended with poll worker shortages and a surge in absentee ballots. In the end, results were not released until nearly a week later. With the Aug. 11, 2020 primary for state offices only about a month away, the April election came up in a Twitter spat between state Democrats and Republicans. ""Remember when *Democratic Mayors* in some of Wisconsin's largest cities closed voting locations in April to cause chaos?"" the Wisconsin GOP tweeted July 7, 2020. Two of Wisconsin’s Democrat-led cities did drastically reduce the number of polling places open on election day. But was the decision really in order to cause chaos, particularly during a pivotal election for their party? Let’s dive in. When asked for evidence to support the party’s claim, Wisconsin GOP spokeswoman Alesha Guenther zeroed in on Milwaukee and Green Bay. ""The majority of Wisconsin’s local elected leaders worked hard to make sure that Wisconsinites could safely exercise their right to vote in person on April 7,"" Guenther said. ""As a result, election day voting went smoothly in almost all areas of the state, with the exceptions of Green Bay and Milwaukee, where local officials refused to use the resources made available to them and caused chaos."" Both cities are indeed led by Democrats -- Tom Barrett in Milwaukee and Eric Genrich in Green Bay. Barrett is a former congressman, and Genrich represented Wisconsin’s 90th Assembly District for three terms. The mayors came out strongly against holding an in-person election, with Barrett calling it ""dangerous,"" and both urged people to vote absentee. Genrich and Green Bay went one step further and unsuccessfully sued state officials, including Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, to push them to make the election an all-mail process. Milwaukee and Green Bay also had the worst voting lines in the state, opening them up to criticism from state Republicans and local council members. While Guenther emphasized Milwaukee and Green Bay, the party’s original statement cited Democrats in large cities. So, it’s worth noting that the election in Madison, which is also led by a Democratic mayor, went smoothly and wasn’t mired by the same issues. The main thrust of the claim, though, is that Democrats -- including Barrett and Genrich -- closed polling locations to ""cause chaos."" Let’s take a walk down memory lane. Milwaukee operated just five polling places on April 7, down from 180 sites, which city officials attributed to a lack of poll workers. Only 300 to 400 people confirmed they would work election day in a city that typically requires more than 1,400 to run the polls for a normal election. In Green Bay, people waited in line up to four hours to vote at two high schools -- the only polling locations in a city accustomed to 31. Nineteen poll workers staffed the two sites with the help of some volunteers after many declined to work over health concerns. Genrich repeatedly said he didn’t feel comfortable asking city employees or volunteers to work the polls mid-pandemic. In the email to PolitiFact Wisconsin, Guenther said Milwaukee and Green Bay failed to take advantage of National Guard members made available to municipalities on Election Day. But the story is more complicated than that. Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson said he received a final tally of available guard workers late on the Sunday before the election and contacted municipal clerks that night. The city of Milwaukee ended up with about 200 volunteers from the guard. Neil Albrecht, then-executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, said receiving that information sooner ""could have influenced the number of voting centers."" Albrecht also said he contacted the state weeks before the election about National Guard assistance, but was told they wouldn’t be dispatched to help run polling sites. Green Bay officials echoed the assertion that National Guard support came too late. Brown County Clerk Sandy Juno said after the election that Green Bay declined to use poll workers provided by the National Guard. Genrich told the Green Bay Press-Gazette that he didn’t hear anything concrete about guard workers until speaking to Juno days before the election. By then, the city had consolidated to two polling locations and believed it had enough workers to manage them. Now, back to the GOP’s claim. Public statements from Barrett and Genrich suggest the move to consolidate polling places was driven by public health fears and a significant decline in poll workers. And election decisions are not made unilaterally by the mayor of any city. What’s more, much of the chaos came amid late developing court cases, including one that Republican leaders themselves took to the U.S. Supreme Court. Justices issued their ruling less than 18 hours before polls opened, just hours after Evers attempted to delay the election. And the GOP doesn’t offer a suggestion, let alone evidence, as to why Democrats would have benefited from any chaos -- particularly when races on the ballot included the Democratic presidential primary and a statewide Supreme Court race that pitted a liberal candidate against a conservative one. In Milwaukee, Barrett himself was on the ballot in his successful bid for a fourth term. In a tweet, the Wisconsin GOP said, ""Democratic Mayors in some of Wisconsin's largest cities closed voting locations in April to cause chaos."" There’s no question that Milwaukee and Green Bay had problems unlike anywhere else in the state, and their Democratic leaders weren’t shy about wanting to avoid an in-person election amid a public health crisis. But the decision to consolidate polling places ultimately came down to poll worker shortages, and there was plenty of confusion due to legal maneuvering -- including from the GOP -- up until the last moments before election day. There’s no evidence to suggest the cities wanted to deliberately cause chaos, or that Democrats stood to benefit if they did."
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14583
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The richest 80 people in the world own more wealth than the bottom half of the global population.
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Sanders said that 80 people own as much as half the world’s population. The statement was in line with the latest Oxfam report available at the time Sanders spoke. The Oxfam analysis was based on a report from Credit Suisse and the Forbes list of billionaires. The exact number of billionaires might well be different from the 80 that Sanders said, or the 62 that Oxfam said more recently. But out of world population of 7 billion, it makes little difference if the tally were 160. It still represents a tiny sliver of a percentage of the people in the world. The statement is accurate but needs additional information.
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true
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Global News Service, Economy, Poverty, Bernie Sanders,
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"Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign against economic inequality went global in a video for the One Campaign, a global AIDS and poverty advocacy group,. ""The issue of wealth and income inequality is the great moral issue of our time,"" Sanders said. ""It is the great economic issue of our time and the great political issue of our time. Truthfully, there is something profoundly wrong when the richest 80 people in the world own more wealth than the bottom half of the global population, 3.5 billion people."" That’s an astounding fact, if true, that 80 people own as much wealth as 3.5 billion. We decided to see if Sanders was right. He largely is. Sanders relied on a 2014 analysis from Oxfam, which came up with the comparison from two different reports. The first, from Credit Suisse, estimated the distribution of household wealth worldwide. The second was Forbes’ list of billionaires. We'll walk you through the calculations and a couple of caveats. The Credit Suisse report Analysts hired by Credit Suisse estimated total personal wealth at $263 trillion. From there, analysts estimated that the bottom half of the world’s population (approximately 3.5 billion people) owned less than 1 percent of all wealth. To be precise, (and you can find this on page 110 of the full Credit Suisse databook) the bottom half of the world’s population own .72 percent of world household wealth, which comes out to about $1.7 trillion. James Davies, one of the report’s lead authors and an economist at the University of Western Ontario, said no one else has done this exact study. That’s true, but the Allianz Group, another global financial corporation, and the Boston Consulting Group, a financial and management consulting firm, have estimates of total household financial wealth that are pretty close to what Credit Suisse reported. Brent Beardsley, managing director at the Boston Consulting Group, told us both his firm and Credit Suisse used much of the same data, but Credit Suisse included more countries. Beardsley said that difference wouldn’t be significant. Raul Santaeulalia-Llopis, an economist at Washington University in St. Louis, said the Credit Suisse may have underestimated wealth in low-income countries. But even if true, it wouldn’t throw off Sanders’ comparison much. Santaeulalia-Llopis said Sanders and Oxfam might need to add a few more billionaires to their tally to make it more accurate. The strongest criticism of the Credit Suisse report is that it includes a significant number of people in wealthy countries who are not poor but have large debts. That produces misleading results, Beardsley said. ""(They) are not actually living in poverty but simply have very low or even negative net worth due to amassment of debt to finance housing, education and consumption beyond current income,"" Beardsley said. ""In this case, wealth -- or rather net worth -- is not an adequate measure of what is commonly understood as poverty."" However, this doesn’t challenge the underlying numbers. Instead, it raises a question about interpreting them. Economist Branko Milanovic, formerly with the World Bank and now at City University of New York Graduate Center, countered in a blog post that sometimes, a negative net worth is a very big deal. ""Even for those people in the rich world who are ‘anomalously’ placed among the wealth-poor and who may lead nice lives despite owning nothing, a shock in the form of a medical emergency -- unless there is public health care -- or loss of job may have catastrophic consequences,"" Milanovic wrote. ""There is just no wealth to fall back on to tide you over the bad times."" Forbes billionaire estimates The second half of the comparison is relatively straightforward. Oxfam used Forbes' list of billionaires and counted how many people it would take to reach $1.7 trillion -- the figure representing the wealth of the bottom half of the global population. Forbes' calculations aren't perfect, but they are the best estimate publicly available. Forbes tracks changes in real time, but the base comparisons depend on estimates generated by members of the Forbes team. Sometimes the billionaires themselves say the numbers are off because far from all the necessary information is public knowledge. Then there are fluctuations due to changing currency exchange rates and the ups and downs of the stock market. The list can’t deliver pinpoint accuracy, but it does represent a good faith effort to assess the net worth of the world’s wealthiest people. Like the wealth calculations in the Credit Suisse report, it should be seen as a reasonable estimate. One final note The divide between the super rich and the bottom of the global population appears to be getting worse. Credit Suisse, Forbes and Oxfam update their numbers at least every year and for 2015, Oxfam said just 62 billionaires own as much as half the world’s people combined. The Sanders campaign, however, told us the video was shot before the latest Oxfam report. So we won't hold it against Sanders in our rating. Our ruling Sanders said that 80 people own as much as half the world’s population. The statement was in line with the latest Oxfam report available at the time Sanders spoke. The Oxfam analysis was based on a report from Credit Suisse and the Forbes list of billionaires. The exact number of billionaires might well be different from the 80 that Sanders said, or the 62 that Oxfam said more recently. But out of world population of 7 billion, it makes little difference if the tally were 160. It still represents a tiny sliver of a percentage of the people in the world. The statement is accurate but needs additional information."
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1719
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Styles differ but U.S. presidents make fitness a priority.
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Whether the request was for a treadmill on Air Force One, an elliptical trainer by the White House pool, or a rower adjacent the Lincoln bedroom, when the Oval Office called, fitness trainer Ted Vickey answered.
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true
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Health News
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As the former executive director of the White House Athletic Center during the presidencies of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, Vickey served their fitness demands. While their styles differed, Vickey said each president made fitness a priority. “Both Clinton and Bush were big outdoor runners but Clinton would also like to run outside the gates, talking to people,” Vickey recalled. “Bush was a more private exerciser; the elder Bush enjoyed speed golf.” Although the presidents didn’t use the Athletic Center, which was built for staffers in 1987 under the Reagan Administration, Vickey was familiar with their fitness routines. Bush used exercise as a way to manage his day, said Vickey, who installed a folding treadmill on Air Force One so the 43rd president could work out on a trip to Colombia. Vickey also converted a room near the Lincoln bedroom into a fitness center. “One day the Oval Office called: ‘We need you to get us a bike, elliptical and rower, delivered to West Wing and we want it tomorrow,’” Vickey said. During Bush’s tenure the size of the member-supported White House Athletic Center doubled to over 8000 square feet. Bush encouraged his staffers to work out during their day. “Center membership increased during his term,” Vickey said. Jessica Matthews, senior health and fitness expert for the American Council on Exercise, said the presidents were wise because research has shown the benefits of exercise for people in high-stress positions, from increasing productivity to avoiding depression and burn out. “Pilot studies have pointed to reduced stress levels after even a single bout of exercise,” she said. Vickey, who left the White House in 2005, believes fitness is still a priority for the president. “I know President Barack Obama is big on basketball,” he said. “He’s obviously a golfer and I know he brought his personal trainer with him from Chicago.” Now based in California and the head of FitWell LLC, a corporate fitness management company, Vickey said presidents set an example for others to follow. “If the president of the United States can find an hour in the day to work out, what’s our excuse?” he added.
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10153
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Urine Test May Help Predict Prostate Cancer
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This is a story about a potential new test that may improve the ability to determine when a man with elevated circulating PSA levels has prostate cancer and perhaps better predict if the prostate cancer that a man has is aggressive or not. While mentioning in passing that additional studies are necessary to determine whether this set of tests really does improve the ability to predict the behavior of a man’s prostate cancer, the overall tone of this story was that this test is the tool that doctors have been waiting for. The enthusiasm for a new test ought to be tempered until there is sufficient data demonstrating that it is successful. It is certainly worth noting that while many other markers have been evaulated to improve the accuracy of the PSA test, few have been widely adopted and none have been rigorously evaluated for effectiveness in clinical trials. Having tools that better predict whether a prostate cancer is aggressive would be useful for helping men avoid treatment that isn’t needed. Whether this test will prove to be useful in this regard remains to be demonstrated.
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true
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Cancer,Screening,WebMD
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Although the story included price estimates for prostate biopsy, it did not include a ball park estimate for the cost to assay for the gene fusion product discussed nor the costs of testing for PCA3, which is currently commercially available. The story did not quantify the benefit of using these markers to avoid unnecessary biopsies. Typically, biopsy thresholds for the markers will be set to detect a large majority of the cancers (>= 90%) which will then reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies–which can be quantified. While alluding to problems with the PSA test, the story did not cover any potential problems that might arise with the experimental test. Although this test may potentially improve the accuracy of a man’s risk estimate, there was still a fair amount of overlap and uncertainity. The story did not report the proportions of cancers that were low and high risk. Finding a low risk cancer could be considered a harm because many are considered overdiagnosed. Missing a high risk cancer also causes harm. This new test was suggested to eliminate the problem that arises because ‘it’s up to the patients and their doctors to figure out what to do next’ when an elevated PSA level is detected. However – even if this new test were available – it would still be up to patients and their doctors to determine what next steps to take. The story did a fair job explaining the study reported on, including mention that additional studies are necessary to validate the results of this study, larger groups of men need to be studied, and more diverse populations need to be tested in order to better estimate the utility of this test. However – the story does not report the PSA range of the men who where included in the study. The story did not engage in overt disease mongering. The story mentioned that the study reported on was funded by the company making the test; and it also mentioned that several of the authors of the study had financial interests in the company. The story included quotes from a study author, as well as Dr. Jones from the Cleveland Clinic, though there was no mention of whether Dr. Jones had any financial interest in the test reported on. The story explains that “when PSA levels are elevated, it’s up to patients and their doctors to figure out what to do next” and that “There really aren’t very good tools to utilize to help make that decision.” The story indicated that the test was in development. If this approach were truly confirmed, it would be a novel and important advance, and the story appropriately addressed that potential. This story does not appear to rely solely on a news release.
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8258
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Coronavirus found on cruise ship as more U.S. states report cases.
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Twenty-one people aboard a cruise ship that was barred from docking in San Francisco have tested positive for coronavirus, U.S. officials said on Friday, as eight more states reported their first cases of the fast-spreading respiratory disease.
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true
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Health News
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Vice President Mike Pence, who is running the White House’s response to the outbreak, said at a news conference that 19 crew members and two passengers out of 46 people tested so far on the Grand Princess ship had the virus. He said the vessel with about 3,500 passengers and crew would be taken to a non-commercial port where everyone on board would be tested. U.S. President Donald Trump said he would rather have passengers remain on board the vessel, but that he would let others decide if they can disembark. “I’d rather have them stay on, personally, but I fully understand if they want to take them off,” Trump told reporters after touring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. Allowing passengers onto U.S. soil who might be infected would push up the number of coronavirus cases in the country, he said. “I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault,” Trump said. Keeping passengers quarantined aboard a coronavirus-hit ship proved to be a disastrous strategy in Japan, leading to one of the world’s biggest outbreaks. Trump earlier signed a bill to provide $8.3 billion to bolster the country’s capacity to test for coronavirus and fund other measures to stem an outbreak that has now killed 15 Americans. On Friday, eight states - Pennsylvania, Indiana, Minnesota, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Nebraska, South Carolina and Hawaii - reported their first cases, meaning more than half of the 50 U.S. states now have the virus. Word of the new cases capped a week during which the virus began to disrupt daily life for many Americans. In Seattle, the epicenter of the nation’s outbreak, there were school closures and orders to work from home. In areas less affected by the outbreak, music festivals and sports events were canceled or curtailed as a precaution. In the most high profile cancellation, the South by Southwest (SXSW) music and technology festival in Austin, Texas, was called off on Friday. The respiratory illness emerged in China and has spread to more than 90 nations, killing more than 3,400 people and infecting more than 100,000 worldwide. As stocks plunge and U.S. companies grapple with the economic fallout, the Trump administration is weighing tax relief for the deeply affected cruise, travel and airline industries, according to a source familiar with the plan. Americans are sharply divided over the dangers of the new coronavirus, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Critics of Trump, including Democratic lawmakers, have accused the president of downplaying the significance of the outbreak for political reasons. He has said the risk to Americans is low. Washington’s King County has been the hardest hit area in the United States with at least a dozen of the nation’s 17 coronavirus deaths, several of whom were people living at a nursing facility in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland. Officials said a team of 30 medical professionals from the U.S. Public Health Service will deploy on Saturday to help the beleaguered LifeCare nursing home. “We are grateful that the cavalry is arriving,” King County Executive Dow Constanine told reporters on Friday. In Florida, officials on Friday announced two deaths and canceled two Miami music festivals - Ultra and Calle Ocho - because of potential risk that coronavirus could spread at events with large crowds. For similar reasons, the NCAA Division III men’s basketball tournament will go ahead at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore this weekend but without spectators, the university said on Friday. Apple Inc (AAPL.O) on Friday asked staff at its Silicon Valley headquarters to work from home if possible as a “precaution.” Gap Inc (GPS.N) closed its New York headquarters because one employee had tested positive. In Maryland, the focus was on a patient with coronavirus who attended a public event last Saturday at a retirement community in the Washington suburb of Rockville and came into contact with as many as 100 people, Governor Larry Hogan said. The crisis has hit stocks hard. The benchmark S&P 500 closed down another 1.7% on Friday, after falling nearly 3% the day before. As new states report their first cases, others watched their tally grow. Cases in New York jumped to 44 from 22, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Friday, adding that some 4,000 people in the state were under precautionary quarantine and 44 under mandatory quarantine. But he also tried to stem any sense of panic. “I think the anxiety and the fear is more of a problem than the virus,” Cuomo said. Amid widespread criticism of not enough tests available for states in need, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, acknowledged that “some missteps” had initially slowed the distribution of tests, but said the overall response was going well. “In the next couple of weeks we should be ratcheted up to get many more out,” Fauci said on NBC’s Today program. (GRAPHIC - Tracking the spread of the novel coronavirus: here)
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7555
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Official: US must move ahead with nuclear weapons work.
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A top nuclear security official says the U.S. must move ahead with plans to ramp up production of key components for the nation’s nuclear arsenal despite the challenges presented by the coronavirus.
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true
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Nuclear weapons, Los Alamos, General News, Science, National security, New Mexico, Virus Outbreak, U.S. News
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Federal officials have set a deadline of 2030 for increased production of the plutonium cores used in nuclear weapons. The work will be split between Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. At stake are jobs and billions of federal dollars to upgrade buildings or construct new factories. National Nuclear Security Administrator Lisa Gordon-Hagerty said in recent letter to U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, a New Mexico Democrat, that her agency has worked with the contractor that manages Los Alamos on precautions to protect employees from the virus while moving ahead with defense work. “The plutonium pit production mission is one of our highest national security priorities and is being done in accordance with congressional direction,” she wrote. “We must press forward with this project in order to meet Department of Defense deliverables.” Gordon-Hagerty didn’t specify what steps were taken to safeguard workers. Los Alamos director Thom Mason has said more than 85% of the laboratory’s workforce is working from home and measures “following CDC guidelines” are in place for those doing national security work and protecting the lab. Watchdog groups have called for a more in-depth look at the plutonium core project at Los Alamos, but the National Nuclear Security Administration rejected those efforts earlier this year. The agency opted to prepare a supplemental analysis of an environmental review done for Los Alamos more than a decade ago. Critics argue that ramping up production at the lab goes beyond those initial plans and should be reexamined. The agency is doing a separate review for Savannah River. A virtual public meeting on that part of the project was held last week and people can give input on it until May 18. Gordon-Hagerty denied a request by New Mexico’s congressional delegation to give the public more time to weigh in on the Los Alamos project. People can comment until Saturday. Lawmakers had asked on behalf of dozens of groups for an extension until at least June 19. “The NNSA is essentially telling the public to get lost during this epidemic,” said Jay Coghlan, director of Nuclear Watch New Mexico, a watchdog group. He said people should use the public comment opportunities to demand the government spend money on masks, ventilators and other needs related to the pandemic rather than on nuclear weapons. Officials for years have pushed for plutonium core production to resume, saying the U.S. needs to ensure the stability and reliance of its nuclear arsenal. The National Nuclear Security Administration has said most of the cores in the stockpile were produced in the 1970s and 1980s.
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10723
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Swedish Study Finds Surgery For Prostate Cancer Better Than Waiting
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Great ending quote from an independent expert about how “there will always be questions, and an ongoing need to individualize therapy.” The story could have mentioned shared decision making as a solution here when men and their doctors are looking to “individualize” the care. We especially appreciate how the story was “framed” right out of the box when it stated: “Don’t leap to any conclusions. Like every new study of prostate cancer, the results need to be carefully parsed”. Individuals with early stage prostate cancer struggle to understand how to best make use of study outcomes to make a decision about whether to pursue active intervention to treat prostate cancer and this story helped provide some context for being able to do so.
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true
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Cancer,NPR
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There was no discussion of costs. Costs would include treating the double digit rates of incontinence and erectile dysfunction in these younger men who do have surgery. The surgery may help them live longer, but many, especially since younger at time of surgery, live decades with these potential harms and folllowup costs of the surgical choice. This should get at least a line in such stories. The story reported only the relative difference in the number of men in each treatment group who died during the follow-up period. For readers to understand what the real difference in risk is, information about the absolute difference in risk needs to be reported. See the AP story for comparison. The story provided quantitative information comparing the rate of all cause mortality in the two groups; it also indicated that more men in the group that didn’t have surgery had hormone therapy. To be balanced, the story should have indicated that there are commonly occurring side effects from surgery to remove the prostate such as incontinence and sexual problems. The competing HealthDay and AP stories, by comparison, did a better job of this. The story would have been better if it had indicated that for men with prostate cancer, taking hormone therapy means that the cancer has progressed; further providing readers with insight about the absolute rates at which men in the two groups needed hormone therapy would have provided a more complete picture. The story did a fine job of explaining how the prostate cancers had been diagnosed as well as noting that the cancers were all early stage; it informed readers that the men in the study were randomly assigned to either have their cancer surgically removed immediately or not; and that the study being reported on was really just an additional report on the progress of men as they are farther out from the start of the study. There was no overt disease mongering. The story included quotes from the author of an editorial about the study reported on. The story mentioned the use of newer surgical techniques than those used to treat the men in the study who underwent prostatectomy. It also mentioned newer radiation therapies. In addition, the story concluded: The story discussed the treatments in the study, radical prostatectomy and watchful waiting, and explained how watchful waiting differed from the active surveillance approach used in this country. It was clear from this story that the approaches to managing prostate cancer detailed in the study reported on are neither new nor novel. This story did not rely solely on a press release.
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711
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Bird numbers plunge in U.S. and Canada with people to blame.
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From grasslands to seashores to forests and backyards, birds are disappearing at an alarming rate in the United States and Canada, with a 29% population drop since 1970 and a net loss of about 2.9 billion birds, scientists said on Thursday.
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true
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Environment
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People are to blame, the researchers said, citing factors including widespread habitat loss and degradation, broad use of agricultural chemicals that eradicate insects vital to the diet of many birds, and even outdoor hunting by pet cats. “Birds are in crisis,” said Peter Marra, director of the Georgetown Environment Initiative at Georgetown University and a co-author of the study published in the journal Science. “The take-home message is that our findings add to mounting evidence with other recent studies showing massive declines in insects, amphibians and other taxa, signaling a widespread ecological crisis,” Marra added. “Birds are the quintessential indicators of environmental health, the canaries in the coal mine, and they’re telling us it’s urgent to take action to ensure our planet can continue to sustain wildlife and people.” Most of the losses were not among rare species, but common ones across nearly every bird family and all habitats. They included sparrows, swallows, blackbirds, thrushes, finches, warblers and meadowlarks. Some 90% of the total loss came from just 12 bird families and 19 widespread bird species such as the dark-eyed junco, common grackle and house sparrows. Each of those species lost more than 50 million individuals. The researchers tracked populations of 529 species using decades of bird counts taken on the ground as well as weather radar data that revealed similar declines in the volume of migratory birds. Grassland birds were particularly hard hit, with a 53% reduction in population, amid agricultural intensification. Shorebirds, reliant on sensitive coastal habitats, sustained a 37% drop. Most shorebirds are migratory and experienced habitat degradation and destruction in many locales where they migrate. In addition, many shorebirds breed in Arctic regions rapidly warming due to climate change. The researchers documented a steep decline for migratory birds. They noted broad declines among birds that migrate to the tropics, where there have been devastating rates of habitat loss and degradation. Migrating birds also face threats at their stopover sites and on their North American breeding grounds. The researchers said other studies have documented worrisome bird population losses in other parts of the world. “Birds are a critical component of many ecosystems. They serve as predators and prey in food webs, disperse seeds, and provide ecosystem services such as eating insect pests. When we lose large amounts of birds, we disturb the entire web of life, which we all depend upon,” said study lead author Ken Rosenberg, an applied conservation scientist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy. While climate change was not the major driver of the population plunge, it is likely to exacerbate the existing threats to bird populations, Rosenberg said. The researchers said the extinction in the early 20th century of the passenger pigeon, once likely the most abundant birds on Earth numbering in the billions, showed that even abundant species can go extinct rapidly. Some types of birds showed gains. Banning the pesticide DDT allowed for the resurgence of raptor populations including the bald eagle, the researchers said. Waterfowl management policies including wetland protection and restoration enabled ducks and geese to thrive, they added. “These are important examples that show, when we choose to make changes and actively manage the threats birds face, we can positively impact bird populations,” Rosenberg said.
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26494
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Facebook post Says CEOs got advance notice of COVID, then resigned to dump stock.
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The post listed 14 companies. But only two had CEOs who stepped down from their posts, and left their companies, since the coronavirus first surfaced in China. CEOs can resign for any number of reasons, including normal succession planning and mandatory retirement ages, or because of board pressure over subpar performance. CEOs and their companies don’t always disclose the factors involved in leadership changes. We found no evidence that CEOs’ departures were related to the coronavirus or that they sold company stock after receiving advance information about it.
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false
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Corporations, Ethics, Facebook Fact-checks, Coronavirus, Facebook posts,
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"In late March, several senators faced angry questions about stock sales they made in the days following an intelligence briefing on the coronavirus, and before spreading panic over the virus pummeled U.S. markets. Now there are suspicions online that certain powerful people were tipped off to the threat of the coronavirus in time to protect their finances. One Facebook post claims that after being tipped off by government officials, the chief executive officers of more than 14 major companies resigned in order to be able to sell stocks they owned. Here’s the post: The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) Among those listed, we did find two examples of departing CEOs selling company stock, but that was after the outbreak was publicly known, and both were still with their companies. There’s no evidence of any coordinated effort by government officials to give 14 CEOs advance information about the coronavirus that they could use for personal profit. CEOs can depart for any number of reasons, including normal succession planning, or moves by the board to shake up leadership. CEOs and companies don’t always go public with all the reasons behind such departures. ""Just like politicians leaving to spend more time with their families, CEOs’ actual reasons for departure are rarely described accurately,"" corporate-governance expert Nell Minow, vice chair of ValueEdge Advisors, told PolitiFact. A public company is required by the Securities and Exchange Commission to explain a CEO’s departure only if the CEO resigned because of a disagreement with the company over operations, policies or practices, or if the CEO was removed for cause, said Douglas Chia, president of Soundboard Governance, a corporate governance consulting firm, and a fellow at Rutgers University’s Center for Corporate Law and Governance. Such rules are in place to protect investors’ rights. To deter insider trading, CEOs, other senior executives and board members are generally restricted from trading in their own company's stock, except during designated trading windows, Chia said. Those windows usually open in the two weeks immediately after the company’s quarterly earnings report is released. The trades must be cleared with a company’s legal department and reported within two days to the SEC, Chia said. The COVID-19 disease can be traced back to Dec. 31, when the government in Wuhan, China, confirmed that health authorities were treating dozens of cases of pneumonia from an unknown cause. Eight days later, China identified it as a new type of coronavirus. The first coronavirus case in the United States was confirmed on Jan. 21. We found that of the 14 companies listed in the post, only two had corporate CEOs who resigned their posts — and actually left their companies — after the coronavirus surfaced in China. Another two CEOs sold company stock after the outbreak. At the time of the sales, however, the outbreak was already publicly known, and the CEOs hadn’t yet left their companies. We found no evidence the CEOs received advance information about the coronavirus or that they left in order to be freed from regulations that restricted their ability to sell stock. Of the corporate CEOs alluded to in the Facebook post, two resigned between Dec. 31, 2019, and March 29, 2020, the date of the post — and left their companies: Harley-Davidson announced Feb. 28 that Matthew Levatich had stepped down as CEO and a director. The company’s shares had fallen 46% since he took charge in May 2015. MGM Resorts announced Feb. 12 that Jim Murren had decided not to serve out his contract, which ran through the end of 2021, but that he would stay on until a successor was named. MGM’s announcement, the earlier of the two, came two weeks after the Trump administration suspended entry into the United States by any foreign nationals who had traveled to China in the previous 14 days. On Feb. 19 and 20, Murren sold more than $22 million of the company’s common stock, at between $32.15 and $32.17 a share, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The sales were made public to the SEC. About a month later, MGM closed its Las Vegas casinos because of the coronavirus, and Murren acquired 6,000 shares of MGM restricted stock units. On the day Murren’s purchase was disclosed, March 18, the stock price had dropped to $7.14. But Murren was still CEO during both sets of stock transactions. He stepped down as CEO on March 22, the same day it was announced he would lead a state coronavirus task force formed by Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak. Five CEOs stepped down from their positions, but were staying with their companies as executive chairman, a top leadership post that typically involves some day-to-day duties in addition to a seat on the board. Companies often say they want the former CEO to stay for a limited period of time to ensure a smooth transition to the new CEO, Chia said. CEOs who resigned but stayed on as executive chairman were still under restrictions for trading in their company’s stock. Walt Disney’s Robert Iger stepped down Feb. 25 after a 15-year tenure as CEO, but remained with Disney as executive chairman, the company said in a statement. Lockheed Martin announced March 16 that Marillyn Hewson would be replaced effective June 15, but that she would remain as executive chairman. She sold $9.5 million in Lockheed stock on Jan. 29. IBM on Jan. 30 announced a new CEO to replace Virginia Rometty. But it said Rometty would continue as executive chairman and serve through the end of 2020, when she would retire after almost 40 years with the company. LinkedIn: announced Feb. 5 that Jeffrey Weiner ""decided to take on a new role as executive chairman."" He won’t step down as CEO until June 1. Mastercard announced Feb. 25 that Ajay Banga would transition to the position of executive chairman on Jan. 1, 2021, and remain CEO until then. Three of the CEOs cited on the list left their posts or announced their departures before the coronavirus outbreak surfaced. eBay’s Devin Wenig tweeted that his departure was because ""it became clear that I was not on the same page as my new Board."" That was on Sept. 25, more than three months before the first report out of Wuhan. T-Mobile announced Nov. 18, 2019, that John Legere would depart on April 30. Nissan announced Sept. 9 that Hiroto Saikawa had indicated he was willing to resign and the board asked him to resign, effective Sept. 16. His term was marked by controversy over the arrest of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn, turmoil with partner Renault SA and a sharp falloff in profits, the Wall Street Journal reported. In a few cases, the CEO departures were long-planned, or at a subsidiary level, not at the parent company. And one purported CEO resignation wasn’t that at all. Nestle CEO Mark Schneider is still in place. The post might have been referring to Fernando Mercé. He resigned Feb. 21 as president and CEO of Nestlé Waters North America, a subsidiary, ""due to personal reasons,"" the company told BevNET. Hulu CEO Randy Freer was stepping down, The Wall Street Journal reported Jan. 31, as new owner Walt Disney Co. integrates the streaming service more closely into its direct-to-consumer business. Freer’s departure had been expected since Disney took over control of Hulu last May, The Verge reported. Volkswagen said Luca de Meo, the head of the automaker’s Spanish brand, SEAT, resigned Jan. 7. He’s becoming the new CEO of Renault. But Herbert Diess, CEO of the parent company, has been in place for two years. Microsoft has had the same CEO, Satya Nadella, since 2014. The company announced March 13 that co-founder Bill Gates stepped down from the board to dedicate more time to his philanthropic activities, but would remain as a technology adviser to Nadella and others in the company. Minow said it’s good that executives are required to disclose their personal sales of company stock so that their actions can be scrutinized. But she advocates for rules that would prohibit top executives from selling their company stock until three to five years after they’ve left the company. ""We want them to be thinking long term up until the day they leave,"" she said. A Facebook post claimed that CEOs of 14 large companies received advance information about the coronavirus and then resigned in order to be freed from restrictions on selling stock. Among the companies listed, only two of the CEOs resigned after the coronavirus outbreak and left their companies. One sold a large amount of his company stock after his resignation was announced — but while he was still with the company, and well after the outbreak had made news. We found no evidence of any effort to give advance information to the 14 CEOs so that they use it to profit personally."
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13584
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"The Clinton Foundation ""took steps that went above and beyond all legal requirements and, indeed, all standard requirements followed by every other charitable organization."
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"Clinton said the Clinton Foundation ""took steps that went above and beyond all legal requirements and, indeed, all standard requirements followed by every other charitable organization."" The law does not require the Clinton Foundation to disclose donors or roll back foreign donations, but the disclosure requirements are rather minimal to begin with. It’s important to note that the Clinton Foundation, already unique in its size, function and relationship to two presidential figures, agreed to take these steps only when Clinton was nominated as secretary of state. Among presidents and presidential candidates, foundations affiliated with Jeb Bush, Obama and Carter have all been forthcoming about their donations and finances."
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mixture
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National, Ethics, Transparency, Hillary Clinton,
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"Hillary Clinton dismissed criticism of the Clinton Foundation for creating the appearance of conflicts of interest for the State Department she led, arguing that the nonprofit has actually been more transparent and ethical than was required. CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked Clinton Aug. 24 about Donald Trump’s charge that she ""sold favors and access"" in exchange for donations to the foundation and why Bill Clinton would leave the foundation only if Hillary Clinton became president. Clinton responded that Trump is ""ridiculous."" ""In 2009, (the foundation) took steps that went above and beyond all legal requirements and, indeed, all standard requirements followed by every other charitable organization, voluntarily disclosing donors, significantly reducing sources of funding, even to the point of, you know, of those funding being involved in providing medication to treat HIV/AIDS,"" Clinton said. Clinton’s family, campaign and supporters have used similar defenses lately, often calling the Clinton Foundation’s disclosure agreements ""unprecedented"" and pointing out that charities associated with the Bush presidents didn’t have to abide by the same standards. Just how accurate is this talking point? Clinton is right that the foundation bearing her family name has done more than what is required of charities by law. But the requirements are rather basic to begin with, and other nonprofits, including those tied to presidential candidates and presidents, have been similarly forthcoming. Clearing a low bar The Clinton Foundation, as part of an ethics agreement with the Obama administration, promised to publish the names of all of its donors, roll back Bill Clinton’s involvement in fundraising, and stop accepting donations to the Clinton Global Initiative from foreign governments, among other pledges. The foundation only began to do that in 2008, as a condition of Clinton’s confirmation as secretary of state in order to preempt conflicts of interest (and it hasn’t always lived up to that ethics agreement). Craig Minassian, a spokesman for the foundation, pointed out that the Clinton Foundation continued disclosing donors after Clinton left office even though it was ""under no obligation to do so."" None of what the foundation agreed to do — disclosing donor identities, limiting an official’s role, or not taking foreign donations — is required by tax law. The law doesn’t actually require much from nonprofits like the foundation. ""The legal requirements are so absolutely minimal that it’s like saying, ‘No, I haven’t shot anyone today, so you should be grateful,’ "" said Daniel Schuman, policy director for Demand Progress, a progressive advocacy group focused on civil liberties and government transparency. Suzanne Friday, legal counsel to the nonpartisan Council on Foundations, agreed that the laws are ""basic."" Many nonprofits are volunteering a lot more information than what’s required, she said. ""Anyone who is more putting more information on their website or wherever goes above and beyond the law,"" Friday said. Tax-exempt organizations or 501(c)(3) groups only have to reveal a few bits of information to the public when requested. The requestable tax documents can include the last three years of a group’s Form 990, which gives an overview of the organization’s activities, leadership and finances. More specific requirements vary by state and also depend on whether an organization is a private foundation or public charity. Confusingly, the Clinton Foundation is actually a public charity, not a private foundation, even though it has the word ""foundation"" in its name. Private foundations (for example, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) are typically controlled by one person, one family or one corporation and have just a few funding sources. In addition to Form 990, they have to disclose their donors upon request of the public. (This is how we know, for example, that World Wrestling Entertainment gave $1 million to the Donald J. Trump Foundation in 2009.) The requirements are less stringent for public charities, which includes schools and churches but also organizations with many funding sources — like the Clinton Foundation. They don’t have to disclose their donors, even if requested, but they do have to prove to the IRS that a third of their revenue comes from fundraising. So the Clinton Foundation is not required by law to disclose its donors, as it does on its contributors page, and most other nonprofits don’t give this information, said David Callahan, editor-in-chief of Inside Philanthropy. (Friday of the Council on Foundations said this is to protect donor privacy.) Minassian referred us to the Clinton Foundation's Charity Navigator rating of four stars out of four stars and a 93 out of 100 in accountability and transparency. The Clinton Foundation, however, is not the only charity disclosing its donors on a website. The Wikimedia Foundation, the Sunlight Foundation, the Center for Global Development and the Center for Strategic and International Studies are are all examples of public nonprofits that voluntarily disclose donors. Many nonprofits like Oxfam and the World Resources Institute publish annual reports that include more comprehensive donor rolls on their websites, said Friday. The Clinton Foundation does not do this. ‘The wild west’ of presidential foundations There are about 1.1 million public charities like the Clinton Foundation, but only a handful are linked to presidents and presidential candidates. Experts told us the Clinton Foundation is among the most transparent in this group of charities, which, for the most part, are foundations associated with presidential libraries. (The Clinton Foundation was initially focused on Bill Clinton’s library and evolved into the organization it is today.) Anthony Clark, author of a book on presidential libraries called The Last Campaign, told us the presidential library foundations follow basic disclosure laws and therefore are notoriously opaque. He agreed with that the Clinton Foundation’s transparency was ""unprecedented."" ""It’s the wild west,"" he said. ""Before 2008, the closest we came to learning the donors was a donor wall with major donors engraved in granite or a bronze plaque."" Here are two charts detailing the disclosure and finances of charities related to presidential candidates and presidents: As the chart shows, the Clinton Foundation discloses more information than the other presidential foundations. It also fundraises significantly more. For that and a few more reasons — such as the fact that Clinton has served as secretary of state and is running for president — experts told us, it belongs in a category of its own. ""The sheer scope and size of the Clinton Foundation is also unprecedented and warrants extra measures to guard against conflicts of interest,"" said Craig Holman of the government accountability group Public Citizen. Schuman of Demand Progress also brought up Marc Rich, a former fugitive and Clinton Foundation donor pardoned by Bill Clinton on his last day in office, as a conflict of interest issue that preceded the ""above and beyond"" disclosure steps. Hillary Clinton ""doesn’t seem to be meeting her own standards either,"" said Schuman, referring to unsuccessful legislation she cosponsored in the Senate on disclosing gifts to presidential foundations in 2001. The Clinton campaign specifically forwarded us reports about George W. Bush's continued involvement in his father’s foundation while he was president. We also found reports of Bush foundations taking foreign donations during that time. Experts agreed that more scrutiny should have been placed on the Bush family, but the situations are somewhat different. ""Adult children aren’t tied financially and otherwise to their parents the way one’s spouse is tied to another spouse, ""said Kathleen Clark, a Washington University in St. Louis law professor who specializes in government ethics. "" ‘Hey, they did it too’ — it’s not quite as juvenile as that, but it’s not a particularly persuasive argument."" ""The Bush foundations did not raise comparable amounts of money and from as many foreign sources as the Clinton Foundation,"" said Holman of Public Citizen. In contrast to the Bush organizations, three other public nonprofits tied to presidents and presidential hopefuls have been rather forthcoming, though they don't disclose all their donors as the Clinton Foundation does. This election cycle, former presidential candidate Jeb Bush disclosed the vast majority of donors to his Foundation for Excellence in Education early in his campaign, and the foundation subsequently published their names on its website. Bush, who started the think tank in 2008 after his tenure as Florida governor, also stepped down as its chairman when he began to seriously consider running for president in early 2015. Jimmy Carter’s nonprofit is perhaps the most similar to the Clinton Foundation with its focus on international work in human rights, poverty and disease. (Most other presidential foundations function as political think tanks advancing the ideology of its president or as education shops promoting and preserving his legacy, Clark said.) The Carter Center has been disclosing its donors every year in annual reports since 1982, when it was founded. It does, however, take anonymous donations. And then there’s Barack Obama, whose presidential library foundation also lists its contributors who've donated more than $200 and publishes its financial documents. Plus, Schuman added, ""He did it without being under duress."" Our ruling Clinton said the Clinton Foundation ""took steps that went above and beyond all legal requirements and, indeed, all standard requirements followed by every other charitable organization."" The law does not require the Clinton Foundation to disclose donors or roll back foreign donations, but the disclosure requirements are rather minimal to begin with. It’s important to note that the Clinton Foundation, already unique in its size, function and relationship to two presidential figures, agreed to take these steps only when Clinton was nominated as secretary of state. Among presidents and presidential candidates, foundations affiliated with Jeb Bush, Obama and Carter have all been forthcoming about their donations and finances."
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15862
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When you have 8,000 veterans a year committing suicide, then you have a serious problem.
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Rate, not just number, helps explain vet suicide risk
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true
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Georgia, Public Health, Veterans, Johnny Isakson,
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"Georgia’s senior U.S. senator took control of the U.S. Senate Veteran Affairs Committee in January, and within a month, had bipartisan support for a bill aimed at improving mental health care for veterans. Johnny Isakson noted the broad support for the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention For American Veterans Act in an Associated Press article just days before it cleared the Senate and headed to President Barack Obama’s desk. ""When you have 8,000 veterans a year committing suicide, then you have a serious problem,"" Isakson said. That statistic – based on the math that an average of 22 military veterans take their lives every day – is often repeated by the same broad groups. The AP story that quotes Isakson also cites it. But just how accurate is the figure? PolitiFact Georgia already tackled the problems with the figure in a fact check about ""solider suicides"" made by Democratic Congressman David Scott, who represents part of metro Atlanta. Now that the bill is law, the government will repay student loans for psychiatrists who join the Department of Veterans Affairs and also will develop peer support groups and community outreach with veterans’ service groups. So what about those veterans? The figures in question come from a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs report released in 2013, based on the most extensive data the agency has collected on veterans’ suicide. The study examined death certificates in 21 states, to conclude that veterans accounted for 22 percent of suicides. Applying that percentage to about 38,000 suicides in the United States annually that translates to about 8,300 veteran suicides, or 22 a day. However, it’s important to acknowledge the study looked only at 21 states. Georgia was not among them. The death certificates themselves also were imprecise. The report itself acknowledges that about 5 percent of a sub-group of the sample were misidentified as veterans or non-veterans, when checked against VA records. In other words, the figures are an estimate. Although the study was the first analysis of its kind, it does not offer an actual count of the number of veterans who take their own lives. A study published this month does finally offer a specific number, at least for recent veterans. The study published in the February issue of Annals of Epidemiology matched military records of nearly 1.3 million active-duty veterans who served between 2001 and 2007 with the National Death Index. It found 1,868 suicides through the end of 2009. That translates into a rate of one suicide per day for that specific group of recent veterans. So which is accurate -- estimates of 22 suicides daily among all veterans or 1 a day for recent vets? Most likely, both, said Michael Schoenbaum, an epidemiologist who specializes in military suicides at the National Institute of Mental Health. Not that either number matters, without a frame of reference. And that’s where it gets tricky. Schoenbaum points out 22 or 1 are simply numbers. Their significance is meaningless, until they are applied to how they stack up against comparable non-veterans suicides. There, the data is far more clear. Suicide is the 10th most common cause of death in the United States, with a rate of 12.6 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Both studies, the estimate for all veterans and the actual count of recent veterans, show a much higher rate for veterans. The VA study shows a rate that is 20 percent higher than the civilian population. The most recent study is even more alarming, showing a 50 percent higher rate, with 29.5 deaths per 100,000 veterans. ""To say 22 veterans a day, 8,000 veterans a year, commit suicide, it’s a defensible statistic,"" Schoenbaum said. ""When people ask me about suicide risk in veterans, I don’t talk about that. I talk about rates,"" he continued. ""The general insight there is yes, there is something about the veteran population that is leading them to have higher rates of suicide than other people. And I believe we have a national obligation to help them."" Isakson said he knew of ""shortcomings"" in the VA data but said the estimates were the best available when he spoke during committee hearings. He made the issue a priority when he took over the committee, he said, because of the need for more attention and information on the issue. ""The intent is to have a number that can reflect that this is an alarming rate, and we must address it, given our obligation to all veterans,"" Isakson said. The $22 million in funding is designed to pay that debt, as federal agencies work to compile more accurate data. The VA is working with the Department of Defense, to assemble the Suicide Data Repository, Schoenbaum said. Like the latest study, it will pair death records to military and healthcare records, but for all veterans. ""The reason to do these calculations, to track this data, is to first see if there is a problem. Now we know, there is,"" he said. ""The next step is to process where it is. Who is at risk? Why? That requires more data that we don’t yet have."" And the information we do have? Isakson said 8,000 veterans are taking their own lives every year. The number comes from a VA study that is statistically reliable, if somewhat lacking context. It is the context that matters here. The number fails to impart the fact that research shows veterans commit suicide at a higher, perhaps much higher, rate than their civilian counterparts. Isakson was correct on the numbers. But there is a bit of context missing in what those numbers mean."
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24554
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"Van Jones ""is an avowed, self-avowed radical revolutionary communist."
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Glenn Beck says Van Jones is an avowed communist
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false
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Environment, National, Pundits, Glenn Beck,
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"Radio and TV political commentator Glenn Beck has spent weeks detailing what he says is a web of Obama administration officials with socialist or communist ties. And Exhibit A in the Beck argument has been Van Jones, Obama's so-called green jobs czar (his actual title was special adviser for green jobs at the Council on Environmental Quality). Conservative commentators and bloggers criticized Jones because of his past remarks and his involvement with controversial groups. His resignation was announced shortly after midnight on Sept. 6, 2009. Beck has repeatedly claimed Jones is a communist. For purposes of a fact-check statement, we selected a Sept. 1, 2009, remark Beck made on his radio program that Jones ""is an avowed, self-avowed radical revolutionary communist."" There's little question that Jones was an avowed communist. In a Nov. 2, 2005, profile of Jones in the East Bay Express , an alternative weekly in Berkeley, Calif., Jones said his life hit a turning point in the spring of 1992 when he was swept up in mass arrests while protesting the acquittal of police officers accused of beating Rodney King. Although the charges against Jones were dropped, Jones said that while in jail, ""I met all these young radical people of color — I mean really radical, communists and anarchists. And it was, like, 'This is what I need to be a part of.' I spent the next 10 years of my life working with a lot of those people I met in jail, trying to be a revolutionary."" ""In the months that followed,"" the Express article said, ""he let go of any lingering thoughts that he might fit in with the status quo. 'I was a rowdy nationalist on April 28th, and then the verdicts came down on April 29th,' he said. 'By August, I was a communist.'"" In 1994, the story states, Jones formed a socialist collective called Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement, or STORM. According to a history of STORM written in the spring of 2004, the group held ""structured political education"" training at every meeting ""to help members develop an understanding of the basics of Marxist politics."" They ""trained members on capitalism and wage exploitation, the state and revolution, imperialism and the revolutionary party."" So Jones was a self-avowed communist. But is he still? The answer lies in the very same article. Even before the group disbanded in 2002, the Express article says, ""Jones began transforming his politics and work..."" According to the article, ""He took an objective look at the movement's effectiveness and decided that the changes he was seeking were actually getting farther away. Not only did the left need to be more unified, he decided, it might also benefit from a fundamental shift in tactics. 'I realized that there are a lot of people who are capitalists — shudder, shudder — who are really committed to fairly significant change in the economy, and were having bigger impacts than me and a lot of my friends with our protest signs,' he said."" In recent years, Jones established himself as a leading, charismatic cheerleader for transitioning the American economy to green jobs. We weren't able to find any recent interviews where Jones directly addresses the question of where he stands on communism. When he resigned this week, Jones said he was the victim of a ""vicious smear campaign"" by conservatives and decided to resign so as not to be a distraction. ""I cannot in good conscience ask my colleagues to expend precious time and energy defending or explaining my past,"" he said in a released statement. But check out these two statements and see if this sounds like a communist. This, from his book, The Green Collar Economy , released in October 2008: ""There will surely be an important role for nonprofit voluntary, cooperative, and community-based solutions,"" Jones writes on page 86. ""But the reality is that we are entering an era during which our very survival will demand invention and innovation on a scale never before seen in the history of human civilization. Only the business community has the requisite skills, experience, and capital to meet that need. On that score, neither the government nor the nonprofit and voluntary sectors can compete, not even remotely. ""So in the end, our success and survival as a species are largely and directly tied to the new eco-entrepreneurs — and the success and survival of their enterprises. Since almost all of the needed eco-technologies are likely to come from the private sector, civic leaders and voters should do all that can be done to help green business leaders succeed. That means, in large part, electing leaders who will pass bills to aid them. We cannot realistically proceed without a strong alliance between the best of the business world — and everyone else."" Or how about this, from an address before the Center for American Progress on Nov. 19, 2008 (well before Jones was brought into the Obama administration): ""Everything that is good for the environment, everything that's needed to beat global warming, is a job,"" Jones said. ""Solar panels don't manufacture themselves. Wind turbines don't manufacture themselves. Homes don't weatherize themselves. Every single thing that we need to beat global warming will also beat the recession. And the challenge is, how do we get the government to be a smart, and limited, catalyst in getting the private sector to take on this challenge?"" That doesn't sound Marxist to us. Beck would have been on solid ground if he said Jones used to be a communist. Jones has been up front about that. But Beck has repeatedly said Jones is a communist. Present tense. Although we could not find a comment in which Jones explicitly said why he is no longer one, we found ample evidence that he now believes capitalism is the best force for the social change he is seeking. So there's truth to Beck's claim in that Jones was a communist, but it's apparent he isn't any longer, as Beck suggests. On July 27, 2011, we changed the name for the rating to ."
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7679
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WHO says Ebola area contained but Congo needs long-term support.
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The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo is now concentrated in two areas and could be stopped by September, but the country also needs help tackling its broader health problems, the head of the World Health Organization said on Thursday.
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true
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Health News
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The outbreak, the second worst in history, is believed to have killed 587 people in a region beset by violence and poverty. A rapid international response has so far stopped the disease spreading into neighboring countries. “We have averted a much larger outbreak,” WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus Adhanom told a news conference, adding that the affected area was contained and shrinking. “Our target now is to finish it within the next six months.” The number of new cases has halved to 25 per week since January, and the virus was now concentrated in Butembo and Katwa. However, community distrust and attacks by armed groups were hampering the response. On Thursday, a group of young men attacked an Ebola center for the fifth time since last month, Congo’s health ministry said, after medics attempted to collect samples from the body of a man suspected of having died of the virus. Police opened fire to disperse the crowd in the Biena health zone, west of Butembo, killing one person and injuring another, the ministry said in a statement. Last week the head of medical charity MSF, which had two facilities attacked, said the battle against Ebola was being lost because ordinary people did not trust health workers and the response was overly militarized. Tedros, who has just returned from the outbreak zone, said local people were despairing and rightly wondered why the world was so exercised by Ebola while caring so little about other problems, including cholera and malaria. “I’d actually like to call upon the international community to link the outbreak control now with developing the health system,” he said. “That’s a big challenge. Otherwise we will appear as if we are preventing Ebola getting into other countries and we don’t care about the demands of the community.” He said the WHO would not leave when the outbreak ended, but would help the government to build stronger health services. He called on international donors to fund the $148 million plan to tackle Ebola in the next six months, a tiny spend compared to the potential cost. The worst outbreak, which killed 11,300 people in West Africa in 2013-2016, cost an estimated $53 billion, according to one study.
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26593
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“Australia Closing Borders in a few hours for 6-months”
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Australia has banned entry to non-Australian residents and citizens and their immediate families. Government officials have said the coronavirus outbreak and related disruptions in Australia could last at least six months. Officials say the travel ban will remain in effect until it’s safe to lift, but have not given a specific date for its termination.
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mixture
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Immigration, Public Health, Coronavirus, Facebook posts,
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"The coronavirus pandemic has prompted temporary border closures around the globe. Is Australia closing its borders for six months, as some online posts suggest? It’s possible, but that hasn’t been determined. ""Australia Closing Borders in a few hours for 6-months,"" said the headline of a March 20 post on sydneynews.sydney, shared on Facebook. The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) The headline in sydneynews.sydney gives the impression that the 6-month time frame is a certainty. That’s not the case. Other news outlets, including the Guardian and Sky News, have posted more cautious headlines, saying the borders ""could be closed for six months."" Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced March 19 that Australia would close its borders to all non-citizens and non-residents on March 20 at 9 p.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time. (Exemptions apply for close immediate family members of Australian residents and citizens.) The travel ban is part of a series of measures Australia is taking to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The government said that about 80% of coronavirus cases in Australia were people who caught the virus overseas or people in contact with individuals who returned from overseas. The Australian government has said that the virus could be around for at least six months and that Australians should brace for disruptions in daily life. Whether the ban lasts six months is uncertain, as it’s exact duration has not been determined. In media interviews, Australia’s Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the travel ban would last as long as medical experts say it’s necessary, but that it was hard to put a precise date on when the ban would be lifted. Here’s an exchange he had March 19 with Patricia Karvelas of ABC Radio National, according to a government transcript: Karvelas: ""So just, again, level with us. Could this travel ban last for six months at least?"" Frydenberg: ""The travel ban will last as long as the medical experts tell us that we need to prevent the spread of the virus, and one way to do that is through the steps that announced today."" Karvelas: ""So you accept that it could be closed. I just want to nail down a timeframe for this six-month period that we're looking at."" Frydenberg: ""You're asking me to put a date on something that not even the medical experts can put a date on."" Karvelas: ""No, but the Prime Minister has put a date on it. He said for six months you can expect these changes, so I expect that's the timeframe."" Frydenberg: ""To be fair to him, he actually said six months at least."" Karvelas: ""Does that mean a travel ban could even be longer than six months?"" Frydenberg: ""Again, as your listeners would expect us to do, we follow the medical advice and not even the medical experts know how long the spread of the virus will continue and the date upon which a vaccine will be found."" An online post said, ""Australia Closing Borders in a few hours for 6-months."" Officials have said the coronavirus outbreak and related disruptions in Australia could last at least six months. To slow the spread of the virus, Australia has banned entry to non-Australian residents and citizens and their immediate families. But it has not determined whether the travel ban will last six months. Officials say it will remain in effect until it’s safe to lift, but have not given a specific date for its end date. The online post is partially accurate but leaves out important details or takes things out of context."
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31400
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A man was hospitalized after a fidget spinner became lodged in his anus.
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No “local media reports” from Boise or Louisville indicated that any incident involved a fidget spinner lodged in anyone’s anus. These highly sharable stories are a perfect example of regional fake news, where standard garden-variety hoaxes are geo-targeted to increase social media traffic and engagement.
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false
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Junk News, fidget spinner, focus times, foreign journal
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In May 2017, fidget spinners — a stress-relieving toy that consists of a ball bearing with metal prongs that can be spun and flicked, and which supposedly helps with mental focus — turned into the season’s trend, with versions of the plastic or metal gadgets selling for thousands of dollars online. Fake news and hoaxes quickly followed on the heels of its soaring popularity. On 16 May 2017, people on social media were deeply amused by a stories about a man in his thirties who was hospitalized after one of the popular toys became lodged in his anus: According to local media reports, the man had been introduced to fidget spinners by one of his younger cousins, and had been playing with the device while in bed when the accident occurred. A family member who spoke to the media declined to be named, or to name the man involved in the incident, but did answer some questions about what had caused the spinner to become stuck. One version claimed the fidget spinner accident occurred in Boise, Idaho, and the other in Louisville, Kentucky. Otherwise, the language in the articles varied little: A 27-year old man from Boise, Idaho has been rushed to hospital after a fidget spinner became lodged in his anus. Surgeons were forced to operate on the man to remove the device, which had become stuck after he used it inappropriately. “We are confident the man will make a full recovery, but for the moment he does face a fairly long recovery due to the internal damage the device made to his anal passage,” said one of the doctors who operated on the man. A 29-year old man from Louisville, Kentucky has been rushed to hospital after a fidget spinner became lodged in his anus. Surgeons were forced to operate on the man to remove the device, which had become stuck after he used it inappropriately. “We are confident the man will make a full recovery, but for the moment he does face a fairly long recovery due to the internal damage the device made to his anal passage,” said one of the doctors who operated on the man.
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4640
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Mentally ill man acquitted of ’96 fatal attack on nuns dies.
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A mentally ill man acquitted of killing two nuns in Maine in 1996 and severely injuring two other nuns has died.
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true
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Health, U.S. News, Lou Gehrigs disease, Maine
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The Kennebec Journal reports (http://bit.ly/2uirMzu ) the state Department of Health and Human Services said in a letter that 58-year-old Mark Bechard died Sunday in Freeport. The department said Bechard was recently diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and had experienced a steady decline in respiratory function. Bechard was committed to a state psychiatric hospital in October 1996 after he was found not criminally responsible, by reason of mental disease or defect, on two counts of murder for the January 1996 attack at Servants of the Blessed Sacrament chapel in Waterville. Authorities said he was suffering a psychotic episode when he attacked the four nuns.
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27153
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Three cats in Wyoming were diagnosed with the bubonic plague.
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We contacted the Wyoming Health Department seeking more information about the recent cases involving cats, but did not hear back prior to publication.
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true
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Medical, bubonic plague
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Officials in Wyoming warned residents on 4 January 2019 about the dangers of bubonic plague after confirming that a third cat in the state had been diagnosed with the disease within a six-month period. The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH), though, added that no humans have been diagnosed with the plague, which is characterized by symptoms including “extreme exhaustion,” vomiting and diarrhea, and tenderness in the lymph glands among other symptoms. The department said that the three cats diagnosed with the plague were found in separate counties. The last case involving a human in the state was diagnosed in 2008. However, epidemiologist Alexia Harrist, a health officer with the agency, warned, “The disease can be passed to humans from ill animals and by fleas coming from infected animals. We are letting people know of the potential threat in the cat’s home area as well as across the state.” The WDH’s statement was picked up by legitimate news outlets outside the state, prompting some readers to contact us seeking verification. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the disease is one of three forms of plague spread by transmission of the bacteria Yersinia Pestis. However, it is rarely transmitted from human to human; on average there are about seven cases of humans catching the plague a year in the U.S. One case, diagnosed in Idaho in June 2018, was the first of its type seen in that state in nearly 30 years. While rarely seen within the U.S. in modern times, the plague is blamed for the “Black Death” pandemic that decimated parts of three continents in the 14th century, killing an estimated 60 percent of the population in Europe alone. Researchers discovered the Yersinia Pestis bacteria during a more recent pandemic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that originated in China and went on to kill 10 million people worldwide.
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10615
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Cord blood stem cells help meet minority marrow needs
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Tighter government climate regulations by 2025 could wipe up to $2.3 trillion off the value of companies in industries ranging from fossil fuel producers to agriculture and car makers, an investor group warned in a report.
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false
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Rules aimed at lowering carbon emissions are expected to accelerate in the coming years as countries scramble to meet obligations under the 2015 Paris climate agreement limiting global warming. Any abrupt policy shifts risk severely disrupting current investment strategies, U.N.-backed Principles of Responsible Investing (PRI), a group representing investors with $86 trillion of assets under management, said in a report. “As the realities of climate change catch up, social pressure mounts, and low carbon solutions get cheaper, it’s highly improbable that governments will be allowed to let the world sleep-walk into greater rises in temperature without being compelled into forceful action sooner,” PRI Chief Executive Fiona Reynolds said. “This poses huge threats for assets and for the wider system.” Most exposed is the fossil fuel sector which could lose one third of its current value, the report said. Fossil fuels account for around two thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions. Coal firms could lose as much as 44% in value, while the world’s top oil and gas companies risk losing up to 31% of their current market share, according the report which forecasts oil demand peaking around 2027. The analysis showed that broad index-based funds such as the iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI.O) could lose up to 4.5% or $2.3 trillion in its value under the most extreme scenario. The shift would nevertheless also lead to winners. Auto makers heavily invested in electric vehicles and electric utility firms using low-carbon power could more than double their values, the report said. The report came out as world leaders meet in Madrid for the 2019 United Nations climate change conference, known as COP25. (GRAPHIC: Climate investments - here)
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10269
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Gene Holds Hope for a Blindness Cure
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"Leber’s congential amaurosis is a rare, inherited condition that causes impaired vision from birth that progressively worsens throughout childhood resulting in blindness in adulthood, between 20 to 30 years of age. Currently there is no cure or effective treatment. Two small, preliminary investigations of a novel genetic experiment have shown short-term safety and modest efficacy in improving some, but not all, measures of visual function. While promising, there was variability in the experimental subjects’ reponse to this technique. Normal vision was not restored for any of the patients involved in the study. Due to the serious consequences of this disease, there is the potential these preliminary findings will be overstated or overinterpreted in the news media and by the general public. Overall, this article highlights the key points of the new research but does tend to present an overly optimistic view of the preliminary findings. After all, this was a story about experiments in six people, yet the headline talked about ""hope for a cure."""
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true
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"Costs are not discussed but it is understandable that they might not be known after an experiment on only 6 people. The article doesn’t report much in the way of quantitative data and results. The article could have included additional detail about the specific results. The findings that are presented are somewhat overstated and not entirely accurate. The article states that the ""results showed a modest improvement in vision"" when the improvement in vision was based on self-report for the three patients in the U.S. study and but was only found by objective measure in one patient in the British study. While the results of both studies suggest efficacy in improving the pupil’s ability to respond to light, improved visual function and mobility was only found for one patient in the British study. Further, the patient in the British study who experienced the best results had the least advanced retinal disease compared to the other patients. Other improvements including a reduction in nystagus or roaming eye movements in all patients in the U.S. study (not measured in the British study). Nitpicking details? We don’t think so in a story headlined ""hope for a cure."" The article states that none of the patients experienced serious side effects or adverse events. It could have emphasized that one can’t draw much of a conclusion on safety after experiments in a few people. The article does not explicitly state that both studies were small, uncontrolled trials examining the safety and preliminary efficacy of a gene therapy technique that has shown success in animal models. The above limitations of this type of investigation and others related to study design, such as the potential for a placebo effect from self-reported measures of visual acuity and the unreliability of measurements of visual acuity at the very low levels observed in these patients, were discussed in both studies and in the accompanying editorial. However, these limitations were not mentioned in this article. In addition, the article’s wording describing the sample size of the studies is ambiguous. ""Two groups…who experimented on six blind patients"" could be interpreted that both studies examined six patients as opposed to the actual sample of three patients per study. This article accurately characterizes Leger’s congential amaurosis as an inherited disease that results in severe visual impairment in childhood and total blindness by the third or fourth decade of life. While the disease is rare, there is no cure. While this article accurately states that its sources were two articles published in the New England Journal of Medicine, funding sources were not reported in this article. The journal did report that funding for the research was primarily in the form of national, federal and foundation grants. One co-author on the British study and four authors of the U.S. study reported financial and/or consulting relationships with pharmacuetical companies. In addition, no opinion from an expert not involved in the trial was provided. This article presents a truly novel technique and potential treatment. There are no treatments options currently available for this condition. This article clearly indicates that the two studies studies are preliminary and that this treatment is in the experimental stages. It is implicit that the treatment is not clinically available but available only to patients participating in clinical trials. This article describes the first reports of trials examining the potential gene therapy for Leber’s congenetial amaurosis. We can’t be sure if the story relied solely or largely on a news release. We can be sure that it quoted only the doctor who led the US study."
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7596
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State boosts care worker pay; demand at food pantries surges.
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Rhode Island is committing $8.2 million to boost pay and help retain workers in the state’s nursing homes, group homes and other congregate care facilities during the coronavirus pandemic, the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday.
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true
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Rhode Island, Health, General News, Providence, Nursing homes, Virus Outbreak, Gina Raimondo
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The Workforce Stabilization Loan Program is expected to benefit more than 10,300 workers who make less than $20 per hour at 164 facilities dedicated to caring for the elderly, people with developmental disabilities, substance-use disorders and at-risk youth. “Once again, Rhode Island saw a critical need caused by the COVID-19 crisis and we responded — quickly and effectively. These caregivers are helping our most vulnerable residents and the state needs to help them in return,” said Gov. Gina Raimondo. The loans to providers will be forgiven by the state as long as the funds are spent exclusively on employee wages. The program covers hours worked from May 4 to June 1. ___ VIRUS UPDATES Rhode Island Health officials reported 14 new deaths from the virus on Tuesday, bringing the state’s death toll to nearly 450. They also reported 164 additional positive cases, bringing the total to nearly 12,000, according to the state Department of Health. The majority of the state’s deaths have been in long-term care facilities. ___ FOOD PANTRY DEMAND Rhode Island’s food pantries have seen a surge in demand because the coronavirus pandemic has put more than 100,000 state residents out of work, officials said. Demand is up by about 30%, Andrew Schiff, CEO of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, told WJAR-TV and his organization is on track to deliver 50% more food than it normally would by the end of May. “So many people lost work. Whatever savings they’ve had, they ran through that savings,” Schiff said. ___ DRIVE-INS REOPENING Two Rhode Island drive-in movie theaters are scheduled to reopen Friday, but with changes. The owners of the Rustic Tri-View Drive-In in North Smithfield posted on Facebook that in order to comply with state social-distancing guidelines, every other parking space will be left empty, masks must be worn at all times when outside a vehicle, and concession stand orders can now be called in. The Misquamicut Drive-in in Westerly is limiting attendance to about half its normal capacity.
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9887
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HPV test more sensitive than Pap, questions remain
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Questions remain – even though a large review was done to try to decide if women should get more than the typical cervical cancer screening, known as a Pap test. This story does justice to the sometimes volatile topic of screening for cancer by laying out carefully what reviewers found when they looked at four different clinical studies comparing different tests for cervical cancer. While the newer techniques may have some advantages in some cases, they are not clearly better at diagnosing cancer early or proven to save lives, according to the reviewers. The story carefully explains the tricky landscape of test sensitivity and why it can lead to the risk of many falsely positive results. It could have done a better job of making clear the options: conventional Pap, liquid-Pap, and liquid-based Pap test plus HPV test (“cotesting”) – and HPV test alone. The way Pap tests are done has changed a great deal over the past decade, with the advent of new “liquid-based” testing technology that allows concurrent tests for human papillomavirus (HPV). Some strains of HPV promote cervical cancer. Although the HPV test is more sensitive than the traditional Pap smear, its proper role in cervical cancer screening has not been clear. Because screening for cervical cancer is a cornerstone of preventive care for women, it is important to understand how to use these new technologies in ways that provide greatest benefit, while also being mindful of the costs.
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true
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Reuters Health,Screening,women's health
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This story does not mention the cost of any procedure, nor does it tackle the societal cost of changes in screening frequency or method. The story explains the potential benefit, if more-sensitive testing for the virus turns out to prove itself effective in reducing deaths from cervical cancer. The story explained the impact that false-positive tests might have if the HPV testing became routine. More women could have unnecessary biopsies to remove tissue that was not cancerous. This story does a sophisticated job of explaining the large review of four clinical trials involving 140,000 women, and why there remain questions that require further study. This researcher’s comment was especially important: “It’s a tricky thing to get your mind around. It may seem that if a test is more sensitive, it must be better. But it’s more subtle than that. You’re trying to make a tradeoff between sensitivity and specificity.” Evidence from four different trials did not produce a firm conclusion about whether testing women for presence of the human papilloma virus should become routine. The story does a good job of describing the rapid drop in cervical cancer rates after introduction of the traditional Pap screening test. The story is careful to point out the not all HPV infections are dangerous, by noting that the immune system usually clears them on its own. There was only a single source quoted – the lead reviewer and author, Evelyn Whitlock, a senior investigator with Kaiser Permanente in Portland, Oregon. There was great detail in comparing the liquid test and HPV testing with traditional cervical cancer screening. The different testing methods are all widely available and that can be inferred from the story. The story states that “a lot of research has been done since the 2003” cervical cancer screening recommendations of the US Preventive Services Task Force, but that there are still questions remaining about the effects of HPV screening. The story includes reporting beyond any release.
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2826
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FDA rejects Amarin appeal on Vascepa trial design, shares slump.
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Amarin Corp Plc’s shares fell more than 26 percent after U.S. health regulators rejected a preset testing process that was critical to the company seeking broader use of its blood fat-lowering drug.
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true
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Health News
|
The Irish drugmaker said it planned to appeal the decision. The company may have to drop its bid to treat a wider population — for which it is currently conducting a large, multi-year study — if it doesn’t succeed, the company said in a conference call. “We see a low probability of successful appeal and ultimate approval (for expanded use),” FBR Capital Markets & Co analysts wrote in a note. Analysts are skeptical of Amarin’s ability to run a profitable business without the new indication of its only approved drug, Vascepa. “Even if the larger trial is substantially altered or discontinued, we doubt the company could achieve break-even status with just the (current) indication,” FBR analysts said. Amarin recorded third-quarter Vascepa sales of $8.4 million in the quarter ended Sep. 30, 2013. Advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had in October recommended that the agency not approve Vascepa for the new use until the larger 8,000-patient trial shows that lowering blood fats leads to reduced cardiovascular risk. Vascepa was approved in 2012 to reduce high levels of a type of blood fat, called triglycerides, in patients not taking cholesterol-lowering statins such as Pfizer Inc’s Lipitor. Amarin applied last February for approval to sell Vascepa to patients with blood fat abnormalities who are at high risk of coronary heart disease and are also taking statins. The FDA had in October also revoked a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreement covering a late-stage trial code-named ANCHOR, saying that a substantial scientific issue essential to determining the effectiveness of Vascepa in the expanded population was identified only after the trial began. New U.S. guidelines on heart health issued last November, suggested that individual patient risk of developing heart disease should be used to determine the need for more intensive treatment with cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. The company on Tuesday announced that the regulator had rejected its appeal to reinstate the SPA agreement. SPA deals provide companies assurance that the design and analysis of a trial are adequate to support a marketing application to the regulator. “Amarin faces a long road back to redemption,” Aegis Capital analyst Raghuram Selvaraju said in a note. “The fact that the firm will have to find a way to drive revenues with only a narrow label in hypertriglyceridemia for Vascepa negates any likelihood of an acquisition near-term.” Media reports in late 2012 had listed Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and AstraZeneca Plc as being potentially interested in buying Amarin. The Dublin, Ireland-based company’s stock has lost more than 84 percent of its value since Vascepa’s approval in July 2012. The drugmaker’s American depository shares were down 24.5 percent at $1.72 on the Nasdaq on Tuesday.
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28681
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The federal government passed a law permitting police officers to shoot dogs if they bark or move.
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What's true: A federal court ruled that the shooting of two dogs by police was justified. What's false: While the court's decision may be cited as precedent in similar cases, no portion of it could reasonably be construed as broad license for police officers to shoot any or all dogs encountered on the job.
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mixture
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Politics, dogs
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A 26 December 2016 article published by the Dogington Post reported that a federal court ruling then-recently allowed for police across the United States to shoot dogs if they “move” or “bark” when an officer enters a home: A ruling by the 6th Circuit Federal Court in Michigan last week gave police nationwide the authority to shoot a dog if it moves or barks when officers enter a home. The item embedded a full copy of the ruling (Brown v. Battle Creek Police Department) but many were exposed only to the initial paragraphs, as well as a headline that said police have the authority to shoot a dog “if it barks or moves.” A 28 December 2016 report (widely repeated across local news affiliates) began in a similar way: A police officer can shoot a dog if it barks or moves when the officer enters a home, under a new federal court ruling issued this month. Although that item concluded with a more accurate assessment of the ruling, the headline suggested that a court had ruled all police officers can shoot all dogs for infractions as minimal as moving or barking (expected activities when strangers approach or enter homes): Judge Eric Clay stated “a police officer’s use of deadly force against a dog while executing a search warrant to search a home for illegal drug activity is reasonable under the Fourth Amendment when… the dog poses an imminent threat to the officer’s safety.” As the concluding paragraph noted, the ruling does not grant police authority to shoot dogs on sight. However, given the affection pet owners have for their companion animals, the claim began sweeping social networks alongside widespread concerns that dogs were no longer safe in the presence of police officers. The 19 December 2016 ruling centered on the execution of a search warrant relating to an investigation of drug-related activity in 2013. Two pit bulls were shot during the raid, an outcome their owners said violated their Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure. The basic facts were reported in the article quoted above, and largely written from the ruling: The dogs’ owners, Mark and Cheryl Brown, filed a lawsuit against the Battle Creek Police Department and the city, claiming that killing the dogs amounted to the unlawful seizure of property in violation of the Fourth Amendment … [a] district court sided with the police officers and the Browns filed an appeal with United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. According to the lawsuit, Officer Christof Klein testified that when he entered the house, a large, brown pit bull jumped off the couch, aggressively barked at the officers and lunged at him … Klein stated that the first pit bull “had only moved a few inches” between the time when he entered the residence and when he shot her, but he considered the movement to be a “lunge.” … Klein fired two rounds at the second dog … a second officer shot her because she was “moving” out of the corner and in his direction, the lawsuit states. The wounded pit bull ran behind the furnace in the back corner of the basement. A third officer noted that “[there] was blood coming out of numerous holes in the dog, and . . . [he] didn’t want to see it suffer” so he shot her again, to “put her out of her misery.” Much of the decision [PDF] outlined precedents from which the court’s conclusions were ultimately drawn, citing cases in which such losses were deemed unreasonable as well as citing circumstances under which the collateral death of a pet or pets was found to be objectively reasonable: The Fourth Amendment provides that “[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated . . . .” U.S. Const. amend. IV. “A ‘seizure’ of property occurs when there is some meaningful interference with an individual’s possessory interests in that property.” United States v. Jacobsen, 466 U.S. 109, 113 (1984). As the Ninth Circuit reasoned, “[t]he emotional attachment to a family’s dog is not comparable to a possessory interest in furniture.” San Jose Charter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club v. City of San Jose, 402 F.3d 962, 975 (9th Cir. 2005) (“Hells Angels”). A large number of this Court’s sister circuits have already concluded that, “‘the use of deadly force against a household pet is reasonable only if the pet poses an [imminent] danger and the use of force is unavoidable.’” Robinson v. Pezzat, 818 F.3d 1, 7 (D.C. Cir. 2016) (quoting Viilo v. Eyre, 547 F.3d 707, 710 (7th Cir. 2008) (holding that the unreasonable killing of a companion dog constitutes a seizure under the Fourth Amendment). See also Mayfield v. Bethards, 826 F.3d 1252, 1256 (10th Cir. 2016) (holding that killing a dog constitutes a violation of the dog owner’s Fourth Amendment rights absent a warrant or some exception to the warrant requirement); Carroll v. Cty. of Monroe, 712 F.3d 649, 651 (2d Cir. 2013) (holding that the unreasonable killing of a companion animal constitutes an unconstitutional seizure of personal property under the Fourth Amendment); Hells Angels, 402 F.3d at 975−78 (holding that the killing of guard dogs was unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment where “the officers were not presented with exigent circumstances that necessitated killing the dogs”); Brown v. Muhlenberg Twp., 269 F.3d 205, 211 (3d Cir. 2001) (same); cf. Altman v. City of High Point, 330 F.3d 194, 204−05 (4th Cir. 2003) (holding that privately owned dogs were effects subject to the protections of the Fourth Amendment but officers’ actions of shooting and killing the dog were objectively reasonable). The court decided that “as a matter of first impression there is a constitutional right under the Fourth Amendment to not have one’s dog unreasonably seized,” language that conflicted with insinuations that the ruling disregarded pets’ lives: Every circuit that has considered this issue has concluded that the unreasonable killing of a dog constitutes an unconstitutional “seizure” of personal property under the Fourth Amendment. Likewise, the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan, in an unreported opinion, stated that “the federal courts ‘have consistently recognized that a law enforcement officer’s killing of a pet dog constitutes a destruction of property and therefore a seizure under the Fourth Amendment.’” Earlier testimony from the officers indicated that the dogs were not just moving and barking, but lunging: As the officers approached the front door, Officer Klein testified that he could see the two pit bulls both barking aggressively, “digging and pawing,” and “jumping” at the window. (Klein Dep. at 79.) At his deposition, Officer Klein was asked what were the “aggressive behaviors displayed by the dogs, specifically, that indicated to you that yourself or other members of your ERT group were in immediate danger of harm, serious injury, or death?” (Klein Dep. at 97.) Officer Klein answered that: [it was the] [d]eep aggressive barking, consistent barking, not just one or two barks, but steady, aggressive. Lunging towards the windows as we made our approach. The dog moving from the couch directly to the front door after it was breached. The fact that the same dog even after it was shot stood at the bottom of the stairs and turned towards me, continuing to bark aggressively in the same manner, and then the second dog, even after that happened, after firing three rounds at the first dog, the second dog turning, pausing as it was moving across the basement, it stopped and turned and was barking. The officers here described a scenario during which the dogs’ behavior posed what they perceived as an imminent threat to their safety. A second officer testified that the decision to shoot the dogs was made almost immediately. The court ruled that the plaintiffs continually failed to demonstrate that the dogs did not behave in an aggressive and alarming manner as the raid began. The decision further held that in the absence of mitigating factors, a jury would conclude the specific action was reasonable (but not saying that this assessment applied to all dogs in all situations): We agree with [an earlier ruling] and conclude that a thorough review of the record demonstrates that Plaintiffs failed to rebut material facts. The disputes as to the timing of the first shots and the barking of the dogs are immaterial to the issue of whether the officers’ use of force was reasonable because the testimony that the dogs threatened the officers’ safety was unrebutted. At the hearing, the district court held that, even if it did take the facts in the light most favorable to Plaintiffs, the unrebutted fact that Officer Klein said the large brown pit bull lunged at him before he shot her would still establish that his actions were reasonable. (R. 72 at 24, 45.) A jury could reasonably conclude that a 97-pound pit bull, barking and lunging at the officers as they breached the entryway, posed a threat to the officers’ safety and it was necessary to shoot the dog in order for them to safely sweep the residence and insure that there were no other gang members in the residence and that evidence was not being destroyed. The court also looked over the circumstances under which the second dog was shot, concluding that its behavior and presence presented a “reasonable cause for alarm” as officers looked through the basement: Officer Klein reasonably fired two fatal rounds at the pit bull. The officers testified that the basement was filled with various objects and it was difficult to determine if there was anybody in the basement hiding behind one of the large objects. The officers had to sweep the basement, and the wounded animal was preventing them from entering the basement and safely sweeping it. Therefore, the seizure of the first dog was reasonable. With regard to the second pit bull, the question before the district court was whether Plaintiffs presented a genuine issue of material fact as to whether it posed an imminent threat to the officers’ safety. The dog was not present in the entryway and was not standing at the bottom of the basement stairs as the officers descended. The second pit bull was in the basement when they descended the stairs and was barking as the officers were attempting to enter and clear the basement. Officer Klein testified that the dog, a 53-pound unleashed pit bull, was standing in the middle of the basement, barking, when he fired the first two rounds. The officers testified that they were unable to safely clear the basement with both dogs there. Therefore, we find that it was reasonable for Officer Klein to shoot the second dog. The ruling concluded: Viewing the facts and all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to Plaintiffs, we find that a jury would conclude that Officer Klein, Officer Young, and Officer Case acted reasonably in shooting and killing Plaintiffs’ dogs. Summary judgment was therefore appropriate. No portion of the ruling could be construed as sweeping permission for all officers to shoot dogs for barking or moving. While the court sided with the defendants, members of the court established that a particular set of circumstances justified shooting the dogs, and repeatedly affirmed that in normal circumstances such an action does constitute a violation of the Fourth Amendment.
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35460
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Lowe's was giving $25 million in grant money to minority-owned businesses reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic, while the founder of Home Depot gave millions to U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign.
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What's true: The CEO of Lowe's announced that the company is offering $25 million in grant money for minority-owned businesses trying to reopen amid the COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic. Also, Bernie Marcus, the co-founder of Home Depot, gave millions to Trump's 2016 campaign. What's false: The meme gave the false impression that these donations happened around the same time when they did not. It also failed to mention that Marcus retired from his position in 2002 and that political action committees associated with both Lowe's and Home Depot have contributed money to both major political parties, but more toward Republicans, in the 2020 federal election cycle.
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true
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Politics
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In early June 2020, a meme comparing two popular U.S. home improvement chains spread across social media: The facts presented are true, but some context was missing. It’s true that Lowe’s has created a $25 million grant for minority-owned small businesses trying to reopen after being forced to close due to the COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic. As CNBC reported on May 20, 2020: Lowe’s is dishing out the funds to help small businesses, especially home improvement professionals, in need of masks, personal protective equipment and other supplies to operate safely. The new funds follow $340 million of support the home improvement retailer provided for Covid-19 response activities in the first quarter. “These are going to be minority businesses and other businesses that are now starting to reopen,” CEO Marvin Ellison told CNBC’s Jim Cramer in a “Mad Money” interview. “So we just want to continue to not only run a good business but also be a great corporate citizen in all of the communities that we operate in.” It is also true that Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus donated $7 million to U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. He vowed to again support Trump in his 2020 run against presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
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37493
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Cities and states have banned reusable shopping bags to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Are Bans on Plastic Shopping Bags Being Reversed Because of COVID-19?
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mixture
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Fact Checks, Politics
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Citing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least three states took steps to walk back bans on plastic shopping bags, while environmental advocacy groups accused the plastics industry of seizing on the virus for their own purposes.In late March 2020, Massachusetts and New Hampshire suspended their state bans on the plastic bags, while a similar measure in Maine that was set to take effect on April 22 was suspended until January 2021. And in early April 2020, Oregon began allowing stores to provide disposable “tie-dye” style bags to customers at no extra charge.While some news outlets reported that Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker enacted a similar ban, that was actually recommendation given to Pritzker by an outside group, the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, and was not an order.According to WTTW-TV, the group also recommended that stores put more signs advising customers to maintain a distance of six feet between themselves and other shoppers, as well as adding online order and curbside pickup services to give shoppers more options, but noted that stopping the use of reusable bags in Chicago — where the use of paper or plastic shopping bags incurs a seven-cent tax — would be difficult to implement.Meanwhile, Associated Press reported that among major retailers, Target and Trader Joe’s are allowing customers to shop with reusable bags provided that they bag their items themselves. But a Trader Joe’s spokesperson contacted us correcting that story, saying that in fact that retail chain had “have temporarily suspended the use of reusable bags at all of our stores.” Stores would provide paper bags for free use to shoppers instead.However, another major city, San Francisco — one of the first large American cities to ban single-use shopping bags in 2007 — has reversed course. An update from the city’s Department of Public Health concerning its shelter-in-place ordinance directed businesses to stop “permitting customers to bring their own bags, mugs, or other reusable items from home.”San Francisco County and five other Northern California counties have taken similar measures, as have at least two other cities: Bellingham, Washington and Albuquerque, New Mexico.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not issued a guidance on the use of reusable bags (often made of fabric or reusable plastic) as a possible carrier for the virus. A study led by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that COVID-19 droplets were detected on plastic and stainless steel surfaces up to 72 hours after initial contact. The team behind the study — which included researchers from both groups as well as Princeton University and the University of California, Los Angeles — summarized their findings in a letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine.But as USA Today reported, pro-plastic lobbyists have argued to the government that single-use bags are a healthier alternative. According to a letter sent by the Plastics Industry Association to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on March 18 2020:We are asking that the Department of Health and Human Services investigate this issue and make a public statement on the health and safety benefits seen in single-use plastics. We ask that the department speak out against bans on these products as a public safety risk and help stop the rush to ban these products by environmentalists and elected officials that puts consumers and workers at risk.On March 26 2020, the environmental activist group Greenpeace pushed back in a statement of its own citing the letter published in the Journal of Medicine.“For years, the plastics industry has pushed industry-funded research to try to discredit the movement to end single-use plastic pollution,” said a specialist for the group, Ivy Schlegel. “And when COVID-19 began to spread, they saw it as an opportunity to strike and activate their network of pro-plastic surrogates. Now more than ever, we need independent guidance from medical professionals to inform our decisions around hygiene and shopping. People’s safety should come before profits.”Update April 13 2020, 7:37 a.m. PST: Updated with note from Trader Joe’s regarding their bag policy for shoppers.
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2362
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Bill signed allowing surprise inspections of Arizona abortion clinics.
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Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on Tuesday signed into a law a bill allowing state health authorities to conduct surprise inspections of abortion clinics without first obtaining a warrant, handing another victory to abortion foes.
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true
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Health News
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The Republican-backed bill, which gained final legislative approval from the state Senate last week, removes a provision from state law requiring a judge to approve any spot inspections conducted at the nine clinics in Arizona licensed to perform abortions. No other medical facilities in the state require such a warrant for unannounced inspections. “This legislation will ensure that the Arizona Department of Health Services has the authority to appropriately protect the health and safety of all patients,” gubernatorial spokesman Andrew Wilder said in announcing that Brewer, a Republican, had signed the measure. The governor herself made no comment. Supporters of the bill argued that abortion clinics should be subject to the same level of oversight as other medical facilities and that requiring court-approved warrants for unannounced inspections could delay such scrutiny. Critics of the measure called it an unnecessary government intrusion that had little to do with public safety. Instead, they cast the measure as open to abuse by officials with an anti-abortion agenda who might use increased latitude for inspections to interfere with clinic operations, effectively restraining legal access to abortion in the state. Officials with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, a political arm of the women’s health provider, said they expect the law will be challenged in court but that it was too early to say if Planned Parenthood itself would sue. “We’re not surprised that Governor Brewer signed this bill,” Bryan Howard, president of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, said in a statement. “She has been hostile to women’s health care, including abortion and family planning, since the day she took office.” Arizona now joins 10 other states that allow for warrantless surprise inspections of abortion clinics, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit sexual health organization. The law adds to a string of abortion controls on the books in Arizona that rank among the most restrictive in the nation. In 2012, Arizona enacted a law banning most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, though a federal appeals court struck down that statute last year. Arizona lawmakers previously approved warrantless surprise inspections for abortion clinics in 1999, but a federal appeals court struck down that measure as unconstitutional. Abortion foes argue that warrantless inspections can now pass court muster under a new set of abortion clinic regulations adopted by Arizona in 2010. Abortion rights advocates disagree.
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324
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Mozambicans look to God as cyclone deaths rise.
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Worshippers gathered at battered churches in the Mozambican port of Beira on Sunday, praying for divine protection as the death toll crept up from a cyclone and floods around southern Africa.
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true
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Environment
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“We asked Jesus to protect us, so that this does not happen again,” said congregant and survivor Maria Domingas, 60, who saw trees crashing into her house and water filling her bedroom. Cyclone Idai hit Beira, on the Indian Ocean, with winds up to 170 kph (105 mph), before barrelling inland to Zimbabwe and Malawi, flattening homes and killing at least 656 people. Mozambique’s death toll rose to 446 from 417, a government minister said on Sunday. In Zimbabwe, U.N. agencies have given different tolls of 259 and 154, while in Malawi 56 people died in heavy rains ahead of Idai. At the Universal Church in Beira, evangelical Christians gathered in the patio due to heavy damage from the cyclone. The sheet metal roof had caved in, cables draped across wooden chairs, and the floor was a mess of broken rubble. The congregation stretched arms skywards and swayed in prayer. “You can see the strength in their eyes,” said the 36-year-old pastor, known as Junior. “From today, we are looking forward.” As he led the service with some 150 people, a piece of partly detached roof rattled in the wind. “Only with God can we move forward,” said Rosa Manuel, 59, who lost a house she had built to rent. Mozambique’s Land and Environment Minister Celso Correia said the cyclone had affected 531,000 people in his country, with 110,000 people in makeshift camps. Helicopters and boats have been rescuing some people stranded for days on rooftops and trees. Some survivors have been digging through rubble with their bare hands to search for loved ones, while government and aid agencies have been flying in help. There are fears of disease. “We will have cholera, we will have malaria. It’s unavoidable in this situation, so the government is opening a cholera treatment centre already,” Correia told reporters. Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said the humanitarian situation was gradually improving. “Every day the water recedes we reach more people. Every day the roads open we have better access and we can deliver at more volume and that is the important thing here,” he said. In Washington, the Pentagon said it would provide up to $6.5 million in humanitarian assistance to provide logistics support for up to 10 days, beginning March 22. “The scope of logistics support includes airlift of relief materials, responders and 3rd party personnel,” a Pentagon statement said. “U.S. Africa Command is actively monitoring and assessing the situation while positioning assets to support the Government of the Republic of Mozambique,” the top U.S. general responsible for Africa said in a separate statement.
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5557
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3 people diagnosed with meningitis in North Dakota.
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North Dakota health officials say three people have been diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis in the past couple of months.
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true
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Meningitis, Health, General News, North Dakota, United States
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The North Dakota Department of Health said Saturday that two of those cases have been confirmed by laboratory testing. Meningococcal meningitis is rare in North Dakota and in the United States. Before this year, the last cases reported in North Dakota were in 2014. Meningococcal meningitis is a severe infection of the bloodstream and the thin lining covering the brain and spinal cord caused by bacteria. The bacteria are spread by sharing saliva or spit, and it usually takes close contact such as coughing or kissing or lengthy contact to spread the bacteria. Symptoms include fever along with a severe headache, stiff neck or a rash.
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9837
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Treatment for Blood Disease Is Gene Therapy Landmark
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We were struck by how well the story was organized, structured and written. Very easy to follow. The use of viral vectors (in this case and adenovirus) to deliver missing genes to patients with genetic disorders has been attempted for many years. Hemophilia Type B is a genetic debilitating disorder caused by an inability to produce a protein (factor IX) that is need for blood to coagulate. Without this critical factor, patients with Hemophilia B have spontaneous bleeding episodes. Treatment of acute bleeding episodes consists of Factor IX infusions. These bleeding episodes can be reduced or eliminated with routine infusion of Factor IX. A search for an alternative strategy has been ongoing for years with viral vector treatments one obvious choice. As one independent expert said, “After all the hype (about gene therapy) in the early 1990s….this is a terrific advance for the field.” Definitive conclusions can’t be drawn after success in 5 of 6 patients, but this is an important step.
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true
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New York Times
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The story does a good job noting the possible costs of this approach ($30,000 for a single treatment) and places it in the context of current costs ($300,000 annually). With an estimated incidence of hemophilia B at about 5 per 100,000 males, the cost of treating the disease worldwide is a important piece of the story. The story states that six patients were “successfully treated” and explained that treated patients “continued to produce their own Factor IX for up to 22 months,” and notes that one patient had an initial good response but his Factor IX levels declined. It also points out that because his immune system recognized the viral vector, it is now sensitized to respond in the future and he now can’t be treated again. That would mean that five of six – not six of six – were successfully treated. There was also no comment about what difference these blood test changes made in patients’ lives – how they felt. Nonetheless, we’ll give the story the benefit of the doubt. The story mentions serious problems with other delivery viruses and that liver cancer had been observed in mouse studies. The description of the one patient’s decline – and the fact that he can’t be injected again with the same virus “because his immune system is now primed to attack it” was also important. The story did a good job of putting the new findings into the context of past research and explaining the difference in this approach. There was no disease mongering of hemophilia B. The story quotes an editorial writer calling the trial “a landmark study.” But that editorial writer had much more to say in that editorial – including raising specific concerns on potential harms. The one independent expert quoted only called it a “terrific advance” but wasn’t quoted giving a specific analysis of the research – what it means or what it may not mean. A second external voice was included – but that was a researcher who, although a competitor, was nonetheless listed as a co-author of the paper because her lab helped monitor the patients. We think that the story could have done a better job describing the current treatments. True, the story did note the use of Factor IX concentrate as the standard treatment but it did not describe how often the treatments are needed, the risks of those treatments (low but real risk of hepatitis and HIV) or that they work well. The editorial writer referred to the current treatment as “cumbersome” but that wasn’t referenced in the story. It’s clear from the story that this is an experimental approach, but the story didn’t challenge a researcher’s claim that a genetic treatment for hemophilia B “could be available for widespread use in a couple of years.” That kind of statement requires some kind of explanation of what the road to widespread use may look like…and how unpredictable such a prediction can be. The novelty of this approach – both for what it apparently achieved – and for how it builds on past research – was clear in the story. It’s clear that this story did not rely on a news release.
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36932
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Texas Senator Ted Cruz had affairs with five different women, including campaign staffers, before he ran for president in 2016.
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Ted Cruz Had Affairs with 5 Women
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unproven
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Politics
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There’s no credible proof to back up rumors about a Ted Cruz sex scandal. Rumors about Ted Cruz’s alleged mistresses started with the National Enquirer in late March as Cruz was locked in a bitter fight with Donald Trump for the GOP presidential nomination. The story, which appeared under the headline “Shocking Claims: Pervy Ted Cruz Caught Cheating — With 5 Secret Mistresses” reported: Presidential candidate Ted Cruz is trying to survive an explosive “dirt file” on the finger-wagging conservative senator! And the new issue of The National ENQUIRER — on newsstands now — reveals how the reports say the staunch Republican is hiding FIVE different mistresses! “Private detectives are digging into at least five affairs Ted Cruz supposedly had,” claimed a Washington insider. “The leaked details are an attempt to destroy what’s left of his White House campaign!” The story didn’t name any actual sources, or point to any evidence to support claims that Ted Cruz had extramarital affairs with 5 different women. For his part, Ted Cruz called the report “garbage” and accused Donald Trump’s campaign with planting the story in a Facebook post: And even though the National Enquirer has become infamous for fictional reports about aliens and mutated humans, Donald Trump noted that the supermarket tabloid has broken a number of factual political stories, including John Edwards’ affair with a videographer for his presidential campaign while his wife underwent cancer treatments. That might be true, but the National Enquirer has also been behind countless fictional news stories over the years. And with the John Edwards story, the National Enquirer quickly followed up its initial report with photographic evidence of Edwards visiting his pregnant mistress that blew the story wide open — that’s not the case with the Cruz report.
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5246
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Rate increase approved for addiction treatment centers.
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The Executive Council approved an increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates Wednesday for residential addiction treatment providers, who had warned that they might have to eliminate beds and reduce services despite the ongoing opioid crisis.
|
true
|
Health, Medicaid, Addiction treatment
|
The drug and alcohol treatment centers had been getting more money since 2014, when the state expanded its Medicaid program by using federal money to put people on private health plans that paid more. But in reauthorizing the program for five years, the state is switching to a managed care model with lower reimbursement rates set by the state. Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeffrey Meyers told the council Wednesday his department was able to increase the rates while staying within its budget, and that compensation for high-intensity, residential addiction services will increase from $162 to $347 per day starting Jan. 1. The department adjusted the rates after looking at the other New England states in addition to states like Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky that also have been hard hit by the crisis. While New Hampshire’s reimbursement rates for outpatient services were generally in line with other state, its rates for residential treatment were significantly lower, Meyers said. “We are now very consistent with our surrounding states,” he said. New Hampshire has one of the nation’s highest rates of overdose deaths. After more than doubling in five years, there were two more fatal overdoses last year — 487 in total — than in 2016. Given those numbers, Councilor Chris Pappas, a Democrat, sought assurances that the reimbursement rate hike would ensure that services would not be cut. The new rates will be in effect for six months, but Meyers said he is confident that ensuring adequate services will be a focus during the next budget process. Republican Gov. Chris Sununu agreed. “Because we are now paying rates that are commensurate with the surrounding area, there’s no reason to feel that any of the services would be denied or cut because we’re on par with everyone else,” Sununu said. Cheryl Wilkie, chief operating officer at the Farnum Center in Manchester, called the vote a step in the right direction. But she said the increase excludes covering costs for detox services and does not apply to non-opioid treatment, which accounts for nearly 40 percent of the Medicaid clients it serves. “This is real progress, but there is still a gap in reimbursements that puts great pressure on nonprofits’ ability to afford to provide this treatment,” she said.
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31396
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"Monica Lewinsky's son ""David"" was found dead in Central Park."
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DISCLAIMER: America’s Last Line of Defense is a satirical publication that uses the imagination of liberals to expose the extreme bigotry and hate and subsequent blind gullibility that festers in right-wing nutjobs. We present fiction as fact and our sources don’t actually exist. Names that represent actual people and places are purely coincidental and all images should be considered altered and do not in any way depict reality.
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false
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Uncategorized, death hoax, fake news, monica lewinsky
|
On 16 May 2017, TheLastLineOfDefense.org published two articles appearing to report that Monica Lewinsky’s son, “David”, had been reported missing in New York, and subsequently found dead in Central Park: The body of Monica Lewinsky’s son, David, was found in Central Park just hours after he was discovered to be missing. The 28-year-old David had just left a casual breakfast with his half-sister, Chelsea, and was last seen turning into an alley near 3rd. Police on the scene say David succumbed to asphyxia after his throat closed when he was stung by a bee. He was found with two EpiPens, but both were empty. David’s medical history reveals that he is highly allergic to bee stings. So why would he go through Central Park without an EpiPen and what the hell was he doing near 3rd in an alley? These stories are entirely fabricated. We could find no evidence that Lewinsky, who is 43 years old, has a 28-year-old son named David, or a son of any name or age. The photograph used to illustrate the purported discovery of David’s body is in fact taken from a legitimate article in the New York Daily News about the discovery of the body of a homeless man in Central Park. The stories also bear some of the clear hallmarks of fake news — a purportedly deceased person is given no last name, and no official sources are named or provided, despite claims about a missing person, a lawsuit, and even a cause of death. The 16 May 2017 stories on Last Line of Defense are both fake, as are all stories on the site, which carries the following helpful disclaimer:
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2896
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Long-term efficacy of Chelsea drug may pose problems for FDA.
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A treatment developed by Chelsea Therapeutics International Ltd for a rare type of low blood pressure is presenting problems for U.S. drug reviewers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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true
|
Health News
|
A review, posted on the FDA’s website on Friday, comes ahead of a meeting on January 14 of outside medical experts who will discuss the drug and recommend whether it should be approved. The FDA generally follows the advice of its advisory panels. The drug, droxidopa, is designed to treat neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH), a rare, chronic type of low blood pressure that occurs on standing. Arguments in favor of approval include “strong evidence” that the drug confers at least one week of benefit, the staff review found. Arguments against approval include a lack of evidence that the benefit is durable over a longer period of time. The disorder is associated with certain neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease; multiple system atrophy; and pure autonomic failure — conditions which can impair the body’s involuntary functions such as blood pressure and heart rate.
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34331
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Female athletes competing at the Olympics are getting pregnant just so they can abort the baby and by so doing enhance their performance through hormone doping.
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We cannot, however, conclusively prove or disprove the existence of covert athletic research or practices allegedly performed by countries behind the Iron Curtain.
|
unproven
|
Politics Sexuality, Moral Outrage, olympics
|
Editor’s note: Snopes initially published an overview of this claim on 12 February 2002. Renewed interest in the claim following Russia’s expulsion from the 2018 Olympics drove us to dig deeper. While our rating remains unchanged from 2002, we present new research and renewed skepticism in this updated version of the post. For years, internet users have wrung their hands over “abortion doping” — the alleged practice of conceiving and terminating a pregnancy for the sole purpose of improving athletic performance — despite little to no evidence that anyone has ever done it. Prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russians and their satellite states, including East Germany, were notorious for doping-related Olympic controversies—typically the use and abuse of performance-enhancing drugs and steroids. The athletic event was considered a time when adversaries in the Cold War could openly compete for dominance on the world stage. Though global borders and economies have been redrawn in the decades since, the Russians still face allegations of doping in the 2018 Olympics. Rumors that girls as young as 14 and women athletes were intentionally impregnated by coaches or trainers with the intent of terminating those pregnancies for a physical gain have their origins in these Cold War politics, and therefore come with an air of believability that appears to have lent them undue credit. Cold War Rumors Since at least 1956, Western media outlets have leveled accusations against Soviet bloc countries that female Olympic athletes sometimes use a terminated pregnancy to reap hormonal and physiological benefits, according to a 1994 report in UK’s Sunday Times: Suspicion that women athletes from the former Soviet Union planned abortions to coincide with important competitions first surfaced in 1956 at the Melbourne Olympics, then [arose again] eight years later in Tokyo. One estimate at the time suggested that as many as 10 of 26 medal winners may have manipulated their pregnancy. According to [Sports medicine doctor Jean-Pierre de] Mondenard, no conclusive proof of abuse was ever produced. Sunday Times (London, England), 27 November 1994, p. 23. Media reports leveled similar charges at other communist nations as well, most notably East Germany. A 1988 Los Angeles Times article, reported on from East Berlin, described these rumors as “fueled by the Western European press.” In 1994, German media provided what they billed as a confirmation of both this practice’s existence and its sponsorship by a governmental organization. In a story that garnered widespread Western coverage, the German television station RTL aired what they presented as an interview with a Soviet gymnast named Olga Kovalenko: Olga Kovalenko, a gold medal winner at the 1968 Olympic games in Mexico, confessed to German television that she had become pregnant and had an abortion shortly before the competition to toughen her body and profit from hormonal changes that enhanced her physical performance. Kovalenko, who competed under her maiden name, Karaseva, claimed that the practice was widespread among champion Soviet athletes during the 1970s. She said girls as young as 14 were ordered to have sex with their coaches if they had no steady boyfriend. In her own case, she added, “I was told that if I refused I would not have been sent to the Games.” Sunday Times (London, England), 27 November 1994, p. 23. In a perplexing twist, however, Kovalenko disputes that she was the person who appeared in that interview, claiming the network interviewed an imposter. She additionally disputes an interview attributed to her in a Russian newspaper where she allegedly confirmed details of abortion doping to a reporter there. With regard to the latter, Kovalenko won a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper in Russian court in 1998, and she threatened a lawsuit against the German television outlet as well, as reported by Agence France Presse on 10 December 1998: Former Soviet Olympic star Olga Karasyova has won damages over bizarre allegations that Soviet athletes had been forced to get pregnant and then have abortions to boost their performance. A Moscow court ruled that the Russian monthly SPEED Info had libelled Karasyova by quoting her as saying the ruling body of Soviet sport forced women stars to have sex with their trainers to become pregnant. […] An outraged Karasyova denied she ever made any such allegation against Goskomsport, which ran sport during the communist era. The court awarded Karasyova, who won gold at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, 35,000 rubles (1,750 dollars) in damages. She is now considering legal action against the German television station RTL, which broadcast similar charges. Agence France Presse (English), 10 December 1998 Karasyova’s disputed testimony remains the only “confirmation” of the practice of abortion doping. Despite her legal victory, the interviews attributed to her have been repeated as fact long after Karasyova won her court battle. It’s unclear whether she attempted to make similar claims against the German television show. Karsyova’s alleged 1994 interview carried additional weight when it was first reported because many reporters suggested, during the 1968 Olympics, the only way silver medalist gymnast Vera Caslavska—a Czech with anti-Soviet views and a favorite of Western media—could have lost was if Karasyova had cheated. Caslavska’s coach is actually the source of a quote often presented to support the notion that “abortion doping” is a real practice. Responding to the 1994 RTL interview, her coach says “In any other country it would have been called rape.” This quote, while still used as independent proof of the practice, refers the same disputed incident. Pro-Life Talking Point In the internet era, the most heavily cited source in support of the existence of abortion doping can be traced to a February 2002 article published in the now-defunct Canadian independent newspaper The Report. The author, Celeste McGovern, is well-known for pushing medical conspiracies and is occasionally featured on fringe websites like InfoWars. Her sparsely sourced story ran with this shocking headline: “Going for Gold: It Takes Blood, Sweat and an Abortion to Be a Winner” This story, written in the run-up to the 2002 Winter Olympics, raised anew the spectre of this supposedly hushed form of performance enhancement, suggesting it has been a common practice. The article’s most significant claims have been cited or referenced in myriad pro-life websites, a legal review, and at least one scientific paper: One [doping] scheme that’s virtually impossible to ban is pregnancy. Early on, pregnancy has the effect of boosting a woman’s blood volume tremendously to fuel her unborn baby’s growth. Getting pregnant two or three months before an event and having an abortion days prior to it can grant as much as a 10 percent performance enhancement. North American athletes have never been implicated in the scheme, says [Mona Passignano, director of research at the Texas pro-life group Life Dynamics reports], but athletes from countries they compete with certainly have. [Passignano] quotes a[n unnamed] Finnish sports medicine expert: “Now that drug testing is routine, pregnancy is becoming the favourite way of getting an edge on competition.” One Russian athlete told a reporter that as long ago as the ’70s, gymnasts as young as 14 were ordered to sleep with their coaches to get pregnant—and then abort. U.S Olympic regulations ban the “pregnancy/abortion” doping scheme, though it’s basically an unenforceable law. The first source McGovern cites is the director of an anti-abortion group in Texas who then, in turn, cites an unnamed “Finnish sports medicine expert” about its widespread use. The expert, based on his “favourite way of getting an edge” quote, is a doctor named Risto Erkola, who expressed both his disgust at the practice and the claim that it was widespread in a 22 May 1988 article in the British tabloid Sunday Mirror. His quote has been repeated ad infinitum in various sources. Media reports following this tabloid claim were skeptical of it, and it is not clear if Erkola would have had any first-hand knowledge of Soviet doping practices in the first place. Responding to the Mirror’s claims in a report that appeared in numerous papers including a 25 May 1988 article in Australian paper The Age [pg 6, “Pregnancy Improves Performance, Says Doctor”], Peter Larkins, then an official of the Australian Sports Medicine Association raised both scientific skepticism and an eagerness to believe the rumors in spite of that skepticism: An Australian sports medicine specialist said yesterday that he would not be surprised if women athletes in the Eastern bloc were getting pregnant to enhance their athletic performance, and then having abortions. […] “Nothing surprises me any more about what athletes will now to try to gain an advantage,” Dr. Larkins said. But although pregnancy could theoretically improve performance, he believed that the advantage were far outweighed by the drawbacks-of morning sickness and fatigue; which are common in early pregnancy. The latter source in McGovern’s Record story, a second-hand report of a “Russian athlete” about gymnasts “as young as 14” being ordered to sleep with their coaches is a nearly word-for-word description of news reports concerning the disputed 1994 interview with a potential imposter. As such it almost certainly refers to the same dubious case. McGovern omits the fact that this later testimony was refuted by its alleged source, and suggests a man quoted in a 1988 Sunday Mirror article with no clear connection to the Soviet Union as an authority of its widespread use. Despite these factual problems, McGovern’s Record report has been, and continues to be, cited as evidence of the practice. Dubious Science The scientific rationale in favor of abortion doping is similarly self-referential, circumstantial, and problematic. In a post promoting McGovern’s 2002 report on abortion doping, anti-abortion website LifeSiteNews.com added their own bit of research, which is repeated verbatim on many other similar sites: The procedure is so well known it has made it to the textbooks. LifeSite found the method described in an online textbook in physiology by Dr. Poul-Erik Paulev of the Department of Medical Physiology, University of Copenhagen. However, this so-called textbook is an online, self-published document that contains no references for its claims regarding abortion doping, and largely repeats information contained in the aforementioned press accounts attributed to a potential imposter of Karasyova. Another oft-repeated bit of supporting data has its origins in another Times report — this one from 2003. In a story about cheating in sports, the Times cites a Michigan State University professor as lending credibility to the scientific basis of abortion doping: In the first three months it is known that a woman’s body produces a natural surplus of red blood cells, the type that are rich in oxygen-carrying haemoglobin, to support the growing foetus. James Pivarnik, a professor of kinesiology and epidemiology at Michigan State University, has studied athletes during and after pregnancy at his Human Energy Research laboratory and found there is a 60 per cent increase in blood volume and that this could improve the body’s ability to carry oxygen to the muscles by up to 30 per cent. We reached out to Pivarnik for verification. He told us via email that he does not remember conveying the stats cited to the Times, and that the numbers were “nothing new.” But the numbers were not targeted toward a discussion about athletic performance enhancement. Pivarnik told us he had “no idea” which study of his the Times was referring to. No published studies have specifically tested a performance benefit following terminated pregnancies. That does not mean there is nothing to the claim. It is well known, as Pivarnik stated, that a woman’s blood volume increases dramatically to support a fetus. The notion that hormonal changes could lead to benefits, while theoretical, is not completely without biological basis. The basic concept, as reported in New Scientist, is rooted in principles about how pregnancy works: Changing hormones may be another way pregnancy could affect endurance performance. The surges in oestrogen and progesterone that pregnant women experience can change metabolism – encouraging the body to break down fats for energy instead of carbohydrates. This would allow pregnant women to hold onto their carbohydrate energy stores for longer, enabling them to push themselves further as competitors hit a wall. “This is just a theory,” Pivarnik cautioned in that New Scientist piece. On top of these theories, media reports also frequently conflate elite athletes’ success after giving birth—documented in the case of some elite athletes and a popular topic on the web—to the the theoretical benefits of abortion-doping. The role of giving birth and finding success as an Olympian is disputed. Regardless, giving birth is significantly different than terminating a pregnancy after 3 months. “Abortion doping” claims, specifically, have their roots in Cold War era rumors, are confirmed only by a single dubious case, are buttressed by speculative science, and are largely amplified in recent years by anti-abortion groups.
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FDA urges more caution over TNF blocker infections.
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U.S. health regulators ordered stronger warnings for prescription drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and other conditions on Thursday after dozens of patients contracted severe fungal infections and died.
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Health News
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The so-called TNF blocker medications include Johnson & Johnson’s Remicade, Abbott Laboratories Inc’s Humira, UCB SA’s Cimzia and Amgen Inc and Wyeth’s Enbrel, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. Current warnings “must be upgraded to strongly warn doctors to consider” the possibility of fungal infections in patients who are seriously ill or who are not responding to current antibiotics, said Jeffrey Siegel, a clinical team leader in the FDA’s Division of Anesthesia, Analgesia and Rheumatology Products. “These infections need to be identified early enough so that treatment is not delayed,” he added. Rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and other diseases targeted by the four medications are caused in part by inflammation. The drugs work by suppressing the immune system to combat such flare-ups, but that can leave patients vulnerable to other complications. Agency officials reviewed 240 reported infections caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum in patients taking Enbrel, Humira or Remicade. In at least 21 of the 240 cases, the infection was initially not caught in time by doctors and 12 of those 21 patients died, the FDA said. The agency reviewed one reported case of histoplasmosis involving UCB’s Cimzia, which was just recently approved in April. Overall, 45 patients died, Siegel said. The FDA has also received reports of other fungal infections including coccidioidomycosis and blastomycosis, in patients taking the tumor necrosis factor, or TNF, alpha blockers. Strong “black box” warnings about the serious risk for fungal and other infections are already on some of the drugs’ labels, but the FDA wants them to be consistent for all products and to be strengthened in an effort to draw more attention to histoplasmosis, Siegel said. Part of the problem is that patients and doctors may not quickly recognize the infection, delaying treatment that could help prevent hospitalizations or deaths, Siegel said. The FDA said the companies must submit new warning language for approval within 30 days or give a reason to protest the changes. Abbott spokeswoman Laureen Cassidy said Humira’s label already notes histoplasmosis risk but the company would comply with the agency’s request. Representatives for UCB and Amgen also said their companies would cooperate with the FDA. Wyeth referred calls to Amgen. Representatives for Johnson & Johnson’s Centocor Inc unit that makes Remicade did not respond to requests for comment. Abbott’s shares closed down 2.4 percent at $56.57 in afternoon trading, while Amgen and Wyeth shares closed down 3.5 percent at $60.88 and 3.6 percent at $41.05, respectively. Johnson & Johnson shares fell 1.5 percent to close at $70.45. UCB’s shares earlier closed down 2 percent on the Brussels exchange. Most of the infected patients lived in the middle part of the United States, near the Ohio River and Mississippi River valleys, the FDA said. Histoplasmosis targets the respiratory system and can be difficult to diagnose because of its flu-like symptoms, such as a fever and cough, Siegel said, adding that current treatments for serious cases include drugs that can be highly toxic. The FDA is also reviewing whether the TNF blocker drugs are linked to an increased risk of cancer in children and teenagers. Siegel said the agency in June committed to concluding its review in 6 months. “We intend to meet that timeline,” he added.
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