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3589 | Apple detectives comb US Northwest for ‘lost’ varieties. | The apple tree stands alone near the top of a steep hill, wind whipping through its branches as a perfect sunset paints its leaves a vibrant gold. | true | Plants, General News, Trees, Lifestyle, U.S. News, Weekend Reads, Science | It has been there for more than a century, and there is no hint that the tree or its apples are anything out of the ordinary. But this scraggly specimen produces the Arkansas Beauty, a so-called heritage fruit long believed to be extinct until amateur botanists in the Pacific Northwest tracked it down three years ago. ... |
27100 | Researchers detected cocaine in multiple, freshwater-shrimp samples across the U.K. | Nic Bury, another co-author from the University of Suffolk, argued that, “The impact of ‘invisible’ chemical pollution (such as drugs) on wildlife health needs more focus in the UK as policy can often be informed by studies such as these.” Their study provided refined methodologies to answer these kinds of questions. I... | true | Science | On 1 May 2019, the scientific journal Environment International published research that found, among other things, the presence of cocaine in “100% of samples” of freshwater shrimp (Gammarus pulex) from 15 sites across Suffolk, UK. The purpose of the study, titled “Biomonitoring of pesticides, pharmaceuticals and illic... |
5666 | In Congo, an Ebola survivor with a motorbike helps ease fear. | When Germain Kalubenge gets a request for a ride on his motorcycle it can be a matter of life or death. The 23-year-old is a survivor of the Ebola virus and often is the only driver his community trusts to help if someone suspects they are infected. | true | AP Top News, International News, General News, Africa, Health, Ebola virus | “I wake up every day at 5 in the morning to ... wait for calls from suspected Ebola cases who do not like to take an ambulance,” he said. “In the community they are afraid of ambulances. They believe that in an ambulance, doctors will give them toxic injections and they will die before arriving at the hospital.” Kalube... |
8261 | 'False fears' about vaping stopping smokers using e-cigs: UK report. | More than half of UK smokers now wrongly believe that nicotine-containing “vapes” or e-cigarettes are as dangerous as tobacco cigarettes and these “false fears” are preventing smokers from switching, health experts said on Wednesday. | true | Health News | In a report commissioned by the health agency Public Health England (PHE), scientists at King’s College London said the mistaken belief that e-cigarettes are more harmful than smoking had gained ground rapidly following thousands of reported cases of lung injury in the United States in late 2019. But the belief is “out... |
33876 | "Keanu Reeves said: ""None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought." | Although we have not been able to identify the author of this longer piece of text (minus the concluding paragraph), it wasn’t Reeves. We found no articles written by Reeves containing this text or any interviews with him expressing this message. We also know that the final paragraph of this text originated with anothe... | false | Questionable Quotes | In June 2019, the internet seemed absolutely obsessed with movie star Keanu Reeves. The actor was riding the wave of praise following the third installment in the John Wick saga, had a surprise cameo in the romantic comedy Always Be My Maybe, and made a meme-worthy appearance at the 2019 Electronic Entertainment Expo. ... |
9705 | Panic disorder treatment could be breath of fresh air | We would have questioned the decision to write about a device with so little evidence to back up its use, but with a huge health insurer considering whether to back this device as a panic attack treatment, it makes a lot of sense to examine it from multiple angles. The reporter does just that. Nearly across the board t... | true | panic disorder | Not only does the story discuss the costs, it explains that “no other insurance companies are covering Freespira’s $500-a-month price tag, a barrier to widespread use.” The story could have gone even further by explaining that if people can train themselves at home to use this device, it would save visits (time and mon... |
24526 | "The Baucus bill ""contains provisions that would send massive federal subsidies directly to both private insurance plans and government-chartered cooperatives that pay for elective abortion." | National Right to Life Committee says Baucus bill would permit federal subsidies to go to insurance plans that cover abortions | true | Abortion, National, Health Care, National Right to Life Committee, | "With the recent release of the Senate Finance Committee plan for health care reform, the abortion issue has re-emerged in the health care debate. And both sides are choosing their words carefully to score political points. We are examining two seemingly similar statements from the National Right to Life Committee that... |
9150 | Stroke, MS patients walk significantly better with neural stimulation | Functional electrical stimulation illustration by Milos R Popovic – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48016117 Just two patients — one with multiple sclerosis and one with paralysis from a stroke — participated in these studies on the feasibility of using implanted electrodes to re... | false | Case Western Reserve University,Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES),neural stimulation | There’s no discussion of costs. While it may not be possible to put an exact price tag on a treatment that is so preliminary, we think some estimate of the costs involved is warranted. One study put the indirect costs of multiple sclerosis at more than $30,000 per person per year, due mainly to impaired mobility. The n... |
3463 | State to submit Fairbanks clean air plan by mid-December. | The state agency responsible for maintaining safe air for Alaskans has agreed to submit a cleanup plan for Fairbanks to federal regulators by mid-December. | true | Lawsuits, Alaska, Environment, Courts, Fairbanks, General News | The state Department of Environmental Conservation will submit a cleanup plan to the federal Environmental Protection Agency by Dec. 15 as part of a lawsuit brought by clean air advocates. Fine particulate, a pollutant that can cause heart and lung problems, especially among the young and the elderly, has spiked out of... |
35210 | Experts and officials warned in 2018 that the U.S. government would be unable to respond effectively to a pandemic. | The White House proposal “is threatening to claw back funding whose precise purpose is to help the United States be able to respond quickly in the event of a crisis,” said Carolyn Reynolds, a vice president at PATH, a global health technology nonprofit. | true | Politics, COVID-19 | In late March and early April 2020, social media users revisited a 2018 tweet posted by Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Senior Fellow Stephen Schwartz, in which he paraphrased a Washington Post article that reported the Trump administration had disbanded the National Security Council’s pandemic response team. The twe... |
32853 | "Nutella is ""toxic"" and contains the ""harmful"" ingredients vanillin and MSG." | While rumors about Nutella’s supposedly “harmful” or “toxic” ingredients remain pervasive on social media, those claims stem from unsubstantiated concerns about vanillin (which has not proved to pose a health risk to consumers) and MSG (which has not been proved to be present in Nutella). | false | Uncategorized, chemophobia, food warnings, MSG | On 24 March 2015, the Facebook page “March Against Monsanto” published a link to an article reporting that popular Nutella brand sweetened hazelnut cocoa spread was “downright toxic”: On 17 February 2016, Business Insider also referenced the increasing spread of rumors that Nutella contains harmful ingredients: People ... |
3365 | Proposal would update Minnesota food code. | Proposed changes to Minnesota’s food code would introduce new health standards for the state’s food service industry. | true | Health, Food services, St. Cloud, Minnesota | The state Department of Health and the state Department of Agriculture proposed the changes in November, the St. Cloud Times reported. The alterations reflect changes in the food industry, such as the creation of food trucks and pop-up restaurants, as well as increased consumer interest and concern in where food comes ... |
29227 | "A woman claimed she was ""fat shamed"" by a Harry Potter-themed ride after getting kicked off." | "What's true: Comedian Jana Schmieding recounted her experience getting kicked off a Harry Potter-themed ride due to her size at Universal Studios Hollywood. What's false: Schmieding did not claim the ride ""fat shamed"" her; she argued amusement parks should build attractions that accommodate a variety of body types." | false | Entertainment, body acceptance, daily wire, fake outrage | On 9 May 2018, the right-leaning blog DailyWire.com reported that a woman claimed she was “fat shamed” by a theme park ride in California: A plus-sized woman claims she visited the “Wizarding World of Harry Potter” and was denied entry onto the Hogwarts ride because her size did not meet safety standards. In a piece fo... |
8571 | No sign Europe's COVID-19 epidemic is at peak, EU disease monitoring agency says. | The COVID-19 disease pandemic is still infecting and killing large numbers of people across Europe and there is no sign yet that the peak of the region’s outbreak has been reached, the EU’s disease monitoring agency said on Wednesday. | true | Health News | A risk report by the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) said its mortality monitoring system showed that deaths from all causes, including COVID-19, are above expected rates in Belgium, France, Italy, Malta, Spain, Switzerland and Britain, mainly in over 65s. Despite early evidence from Italy and... |
9922 | Anesthesia: A medical mainstay re-examined | "This was a story about how some doctors are taking a new look at anesthesia, the consequences associated with its use, and possible options for minimizing anesthesia exposure. The story pointed out that anesthesia use is an important addition to medical care, but that there are certain possible risks that merit furthe... | true | "There was no discussion of costs but we acknowledge that costs would be difficult to discuss in this story. They might have discussed the comparative costs of general vs. spinal vs. regional anesthesia or the potential downstream costs of anesthesia adverse effects. The benefits associated with the use of anesthesia w... | |
10276 | Mammograms Cut Breast Cancer Death Rates, But Only Modestly: Study | "This story does a fairly good job carefully walking readers through a new study on a highly charged topic: the benefits of mammography. It pulls together a range of voices from different perspectives but allows one voice, that of the pro-mammography radiology community, to dominate the others. Given how thorough the s... | mixture | "This is a big one to miss. Mammograms usually are covered by insurance, but because of the conflicting guidelines, there is a concern that some insurance companies won’t want to cover mammograms for women under 50. Also, if a woman doesn’t have insurance and falls into the right demographic, they will need to foot the... | |
14239 | "Occupational Knowledge International Says Sherwin-Williams is ""making lead paint and poisoning people around the world." | "Occupational Knowledge International, a group dedicated to eliminating lead paint, posted a petition on Change.org that says Sherwin-Williams is ""making lead paint and poisoning people around the world."" There is some truth to the claim but also some spin. Sherwin-Williams continues to make industrial paint products... | mixture | Environment, Ohio, Consumer Safety, Occupational Knowledge International, | "Protesters demonstrated in front of the Cleveland headquarters of Sherwin-Williams on April 20, coinciding with the paint manufacturer’s annual shareholders’ meeting. ""Covering the world with LEAD PAINT,"" one banner read. Months earlier, Occupational Knowledge International, a nongovernmental agency based in San Fra... |
9593 | Brain training' cut dementia risk in healthy adults -U.S. study | A preliminary analysis of a 10-year study suggests computer-based cognitive-training software, also known as “brain games,” may lower the risk of dementia among healthy adults. The article exhibits some skepticism as it points out these findings have yet to undergo rigorous peer review. And there’s useful context, incl... | mixture | brain games | The article does not explicitly discuss the costs of brain game software programs. It does give Posit Science’s BrainHQ.com as an example so the reader can probably find out the cost rather easily. After an initial analysis revealed lukewarm associations between brain games and various cognitive functions, a secondary ... |
3651 | France drafts law to extend IVF to lesbians, single women. | Single women and lesbians in France no longer would have to go abroad to get pregnant with a doctor’s help under a proposed law that would give them access to medically assisted reproduction at home for the first time. | true | Lifestyle, Health, General News, France, Couples, International News, Paris, Emmanuel Macron, Laws, Europe, In vitro fertilization | A bioethics law drafted by French President Emmanuel Macron’s government includes language to expand who is eligible for procedures such as artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization, or IVF. French law currently limits assisted reproduction to infertile heterosexual couples only. While the French government sa... |
26046 | Romaine Quinn Says Gov. Evers “has refused to identify or discipline the staff member who secretly taped” a conversation with GOP leaders. | The governor has not identified the responsible staffer despite repeated attempts from reporters to learn more about the incident. But he also has not said publicly what action, if any, he will take to discipline the person. | mixture | Legal Issues, States, Wisconsin, Romaine Quinn, | "Gov. Tony Evers came under fire after it was revealed a staff member in his office secretly recorded a May 14, 2020 phone meeting between the governor and Republican legislative leaders. The move incensed Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, who immediately called for the staffer’s f... |
11161 | Home defibrillators save lives in study | This article reports on a study with inconclusive results about the benefits of using automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in a home setting. The article does several things well: The article makes clear right from the top that AEDs and CPR were found to be equally effective. It provides detailed findings data th... | true | "The article reports that some home defibrillators can be purchased on the Internet for $1,200. The reporter includes useful data from the study, including the number of patients in the study, the number who had cardiac events, the number treated with AED and how survival rates compared between the AED and CPR groups. ... | |
5027 | Songbirds silenced as Colombia fights wildlife trafficking. | The metal doors of a shoebox-sized cage open up and a bird tagged #811 launches into a giant aviary. The palm-sized finch performs a midair pirouette, lands on a willow branch and curiously twitches its saffron-colored head sideways, as if surprised by its good fortune. | true | Wildlife, Bogota, General News, Finches, Latin America, Caribbean, International News, Science, Colombia, Birds | “That’s what it feels like to be free,” said Juan Camilo Panqueba, a veterinarian at a quarantine center in Colombia’s high Andean capital, far from the canary’s natural habitat along the humid, Caribbean coast. The moment of liberation contrasts with the dreadful conditions in which the finch was found. Three weeks ag... |
2862 | Belgian clinic repairs bones with novel technique. | Belgian medical researchers have succeeded in repairing bones using stem cells from fatty tissue, with a new technique they believe could become a benchmark for treating a range of bone disorders. | true | Health News | The team at the Saint Luc university clinic hospital in Brussels have treated 11 patients, eight of them children, with fractures or bone defects that their bodies could not repair, and a spin-off is seeking investors to commercialize the discovery. Doctors have for years harvested stem cells from bone marrow at the to... |
8476 | Space cadet: A Chinese father innovates to ward off coronavirus. | As the spread of coronavirus eases in China, Cao Junjie and his family are making the most of the sunny days at a Shanghai amusement park - with one important twist. | true | Health News | Cao’s son is wearing an inflatable suit to protect him from the highly contagious virus, looking more like a miniature astronaut than a two-year old child. The father created the suit himself, complete with an air purification system, a device to monitor air quality and an electric fan to keep it cool. The innovative s... |
8479 | Denmark proposes faster easing of lockdown as coronavirus cases fall: PM. | Denmark’s government plans to reopen society more quickly than anticipated as the number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations continues to fall, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday. | true | Health News | As a first step in a gradual relaxation of a month-long lockdown, Denmark will on Wednesday reopen day care centres and schools for children in first to fifth grade. But the government has faced some criticism for keeping many small businesses such as restaurants, cafes and hair dressers shut. “Our job as government is... |
27227 | Heather Bresch is the daughter of West Virgnia Democrat Joe Manchin. | However, barring some yet-unknown potential future ruling by Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court that might benefit Mylan, it’s unclear why the meme’s makers considered the familial relationship between Manchin and Bresch relevant, other than to imply some vague nefarious characteristic they supposedly share. | true | Politics, epipen, Heather Bresch, joe manchin | In early October 2018, social media users shared a meme bearing a critical message about Sen. Joe Manchin, the lone Democrat who voted to confirm U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and his daughter, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch: It’s no secret Bresch is the daughter of the U.S. senator from West Virginia, and tha... |
35125 | St. Corona is the patron saint of plagues. | While St. Corona was not known as a patron saint of pandemics, Mooney noted that there have been other saints associated with plagues and infectious diseases, including St. Sebastian, St. Roch, St. Nicholas of Tolentino, and St. Rosalia. | false | Religion, COVID-19 | In March 2020, as the COVID-19 coronavirus disease continued to spread around the globe, many social media users encountered a rumor that was almost too perfect to believe: A “patron of saint of plagues” or “pandemics” existed, and she shared a name with the virus at the center of the outbreak: Corona. Gloria TV was on... |
35212 | The U.S. facilitated the sending of nearly 17.8 tons of donated medical supplies to China to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus in early 2020. | Critics are questioning the wisdom of exporting gear overseas just weeks before it was sorely needed in Canada. The Canadian government, however, says the shipment was an effort to collaborate with China in the fight against COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. | true | Politics, COVID-19 | During the COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic in March 2020, social media users began sharing a tweet ostensibly posted by U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) that castigated U.S. President Donald Trump for supposedly having sent 18 tons of personal protective equipment (PPE) to China while ignoring warnings and calling ... |
34766 | Frito-Lay issued a recall of two potato chip products in April 2017 over Salmonella-related fears, a report framed as new in July and August 2017. | In July and August 2017, the Frito-Lay recall once again circulated as new news in an item titled: “Alert!! One Of America’s Most POPULAR Potato Chip Brands Just Issued MASSIVE Recall- Throw Them Away NOW.” However, the outdated claim simply rehashed the original recall notice, which was at the time several months old. | mixture | Food, daily mox, food, fritolay | On 21 April 2017, the Daily Mox web site reported that Frito-Lay had issued a recall of two of its products. Frito-Lay Recalls Jalapeño Flavored Lay’s Kettle Cooked Potato Chips and Jalapeño Flavored Miss Vickie’s Kettle Cooked Potato Chips Due to Potential Presence of Salmonella. Most people do not associate Salmonell... |
25665 | “If you vote by mail, your personal information will be part of a public database that will be used by police departments to track down old warrants and be used by credit card companies to collect outstanding debt. The CDC is even pushing to use records for mail-in voting to track people for mandatory vaccines.” | Michigan’s Secretary of State and Attorney General condemned the call for spreading misinformation in an attempt to suppress the vote. | false | Elections, Michigan, Robocaller, | "A robocall targeting Detroiters falsely claims that voters who apply for and use absentee ballots are providing personal information that will be used against them. ""If you vote by mail, your personal information will be part of a public database that will be used by police departments to track down old warrants and ... |
3705 | Trump donates 3rd-quarter salary to help fight opioid crisis. | President Donald Trump is donating his third-quarter salary to help tackle the nation’s opioid epidemic. | true | Opioids, Epidemics, General News, Politics, Health, Public health, Donald Trump | A White House official says Trump has given the $100,000 he would be paid in the quarter to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health, which oversees federal public health offices and programs, including the surgeon general’s office. The White House says the funds are being earmarked “to continue the ongoing figh... |
23365 | "The new health care law ""will cut $500 billion from Medicare. That will hurt the quality of our care." | Medicare 'cuts' in the health care law will hurt seniors, says 60 Plus Association | false | National, Health Care, Medicare, Message Machine 2010, 60 Plus Association, | "Guess which member of Congress ""betrayed"" seniors by voting in favor of the 2010 health care law, a vote for ""Nancy Pelosi's health care bill which will cut $500 billion from Medicare"" and ""hurt the quality of our care."" Which member is it? Well, lots of them, according to the 60 Plus Association. The advocacy g... |
11917 | "Patrick Morrisey Says Evan ""Jenkins has the same positions on the issues as Joe Manchin: supporting Hillary (Clinton), supporting cap-and-trade, supporting Planned Parenthood, many tax increases." | "Morrisey said ""Jenkins has the same positions on the issues as Joe Manchin: supporting Hillary (Clinton), supporting cap-and-trade, supporting Planned Parenthood, many tax increases."" We found that Jenkins doesn’t support any of the positions the ad mentioned, and in at least one case, Manchin didn’t either. Manchin... | false | Abortion, Environment, National, Candidate Biography, Corrections and Updates, Taxes, Patrick Morrisey, | "In the West Virginia Republican primary for U.S. Senate, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey accused his opponent, U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins, R-W.Va., of aligning with the Democratic incumbent. ""Jenkins has the same positions on the issues as Joe Manchin: supporting Hillary (Clinton), supporting cap-and-trad... |
30036 | A New York man died after contracting an E. coli infection from performing analingus on his girlfriend. | Despite its fictional narrative, the basic premise of the article may well be worth heeding. Medical experts confirm that E. coli bacteria (and other pathogens) can be transmitted via oral-to-anal contact. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend using a dental dam for oral sex that involves either vaginal or an... | false | Junk News, huzlers | Beginning in October 2018, social media users regaled one another with what appeared to be a news article reporting the death of a New York City man who supposedly contracted an E. coli infection by performing analingus (oral-to-anal sex) on his girlfriend. The story they were sharing originated on a disreputable websi... |
11633 | Joslin Researchers Conduct First Trial Directly Comparing Drugs for Diabetic Macular Edema and Find All are Effective | This release was uncommonly thorough in explaining the results of the study and its implications. Benefits are accurately described in terms that are meaningful to readers. Costs for the different drugs are provided, and the study methodology is clearly communicated. Discussion of harms and the major alternative to the... | true | Academic medical center news release | The costs of the three anti-VEGF drugs evaluated in the study were listed as about $1960 for aflibercept (Eylea), $1200 for ranibizumab (Lucentis) and $70 for bevacizumab (Avastin), per injection. This is satisfactory, although since a treatment course involves multiple injections, we’d like to have seen the total cost... |
30880 | Police have documented cases of people randomly distributing poisoned goodies to children on Halloween. | Police have never documented actual cases of people randomly distributing poisoned goodies to children on Halloween. | false | Horrors, halloween, halloween candy, Parental Nightmares | Tales of black-hearted madmen doling out poisoned Halloween candy to unsuspecting little tykes have been around for decades — they were part of my Halloween experience more than forty years ago. And every year sees the same flurry of activity in response to such rumors: radio, TV and newspapers issue dark warnings abou... |
7482 | U.S. states build stockpiles of malaria drug touted by Trump. | State and local governments across the United States have obtained about 30 million doses of a malaria drug touted by President Trump to treat patients with the coronavirus, despite warnings from doctors that more research is needed. | true | Malaria, Health, Business, General News, Virus Outbreak, AP Top News, Understanding the Outbreak, Local governments, U.S. News, United States | At least 22 states and Washington, D.C., secured shipments of the drug, hydroxychloroquine, according to information compiled from state and federal officials by The Associated Press. Sixteen of those states were won by Trump in 2016, although five of them, including North Carolina and Louisiana, are now led by Democra... |
13534 | "Say ""71 percent of doctors say Hillary's health concerns are 'serious' and 'could be disqualifying.' " | "Prior to Clinton's current bout with pneumonia, bloggers reported that ""71 percent of doctors say Hillary's health concerns are 'serious' and 'could be disqualifying.' "" There was no national, scientific poll of doctors. The online poll surveyed physicians on the email list of a very conservative/libertarian medical... | false | National, Candidate Biography, Pundits, Bloggers, | "Hillary's Clinton's physician said she's in good overall health, but that hasn't quelled speculation on the internet and elsewhere about the fitness of the Democratic nominee for president. That speculation was reinvigorated Sept. 11, 2016, when Clinton faltered while prematurely leaving a public event and her campaig... |
8957 | Combo therapy of prostatectomy plus radiotherapy may improve survival in prostate cancer | This news release describes an observational study that compared two common “combination” therapies for locally advanced prostate cancer — that is, cancer that is growing but has not spread to other parts of the body. The findings were published in the journal Cancer. The study showed that a more aggressive treatment o... | true | Thomas Jefferson University | There was no discussion of the cost of any of these treatments. One survey from 2014 found uninsured patients were charged an average of $34,720 for prostate removal surgery, plus an average of $8,280 for physician costs. Some hospitals provided discounts for prompt payment. Any comparison between these options could c... |
4641 | Lawsuit challenges Florida ban on smokable medical marijuana. | The trial lawyer who led the effort to allow marijuana for medical uses in Florida filed a lawsuit Thursday against the state’s decision to ban smokable forms of the plant. | true | Tallahassee, Medical marijuana, Health, Florida, Lawsuits, Lou Gehrigs disease, Rick Scott, U.S. News | Smoking marijuana is the best way to administer it to some patients with debilitating conditions such as Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS, lawyer John Morgan said at a news conference outside the Leon County courthouse where he filed the suit. Republican Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill into law last month implementing the... |
11164 | Fighting breast cancer? Take your vitamin D | "This story sensationalizes and inaccurately presents new research indicating that low blood levels of vitamin D at the time of breast cancer diagnosis are associated with poor prognosis. The information presented by the experts interviewed does not address any of the important scientific details of the research on whi... | false | "The cost of vitamin D supplements (unspecified amount) was cited as ""just pennies a day."" However, vitamin D is not currently used as a treatment for breast cancer. The quantification provided in the story ""…women deficient in vitamin D were 94% more likely to have their cancer spread and 73% more likely to die fro... | |
28587 | Account of a 10-year-old boy's death explains dry drowning and its symptoms. | One additional caution should be noted regarding drowning: It is a fallacy that those who lose their lives in such fashion will flail about wildly even as they are slipping beneath the water’s surface. Drowning generally occurs silently and smoothly, the victim quietly passing away wholly unnoticed as friends or family... | mixture | Medical, Disease, dry drowning | The following item was the text of an article titled “Boy’s death highlights a hidden danger: Dry drowning” that was posted to the TodayShow.com site on 5 June 2008 and circulated widely online: The tragic death of a South Carolina 10-year-old more than an hour after he had gone swimming has focused a spotlight on the... |
1806 | On Ebola's front line, doctor finds grief and inspiration. | After a month on the front line battling Ebola in a hospital in Sierra Leone, the memories that both haunt and inspire British doctor Tim O’Dempsey are of the children. | true | Health News | Many memories of children dying in isolation wards while their parents wailed outside. And one of a small girl who fought her way out of a coma and was reunited with her father. “Seeing a mother come in with a little baby, and within a few days the baby die - it’s very difficult,” he told Reuters. “What you do is just ... |
14408 | Over the last 30 years, extreme poverty has been cut in half. | Thousands of climate-change protesters took to the streets in cities around the world on Monday, launching two weeks of peaceful civil disobedience to demand immediate action to cut carbon emissions and avert an ecological disaster. | true | Global News Service, Foreign Policy, Poverty, Gayle Smith, | In London, police arrested 276 activists from the Extinction Rebellion group as they blocked bridges and roads in the city center, and glued themselves to cars, while protesters in Berlin halted traffic at the Victory Column roundabout. Dutch police stepped in to arrest more than 100 climate activists blocking a street... |
9985 | Diet drug Qnexa: Don’t get too carried away by new study | We applaud the degree and clarity of the context and explanations provided by this story – about how this is not new info, how the FDA had problems with this kind of data when it reviewed it earlier, and how there were financial ties between the study authors and the drug maker. This is the kind of explanatory journali... | true | Los Angeles Times | Not applicable. There was no discussion of costs, but the entire story was about the troubled path of a drug that was denied FDA approval last Fall. This story didn’t quantify the benefits reported in the latest published study as well as the competing CNN.com story did. The story did make it clear that the journal art... |
8787 | U.S. approves 6 flu vaccines for next season. | U.S. health regulators have approved six versions of the influenza vaccine to help combat the virus during the 2008-2009 flu season later this year. | true | Health News | The vaccines include GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s Fluarix and FluLaval; Novartis AG’s Fluvirin; Sanofi Aventis SA’s Fluzone and CSL Ltd’s Afluria, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday. The FDA also cleared the FluMist nasal spray flu vaccine made by AstraZeneca Plc unit MedImmune. Each vaccine contains th... |
8139 | Syria confirms first coronavirus case as fears grow it could spread. | War-ravaged Syria on Sunday confirmed its first case of the coronavirus after weeks of rejecting opposition allegations that the disease had already reached a country with a wrecked health system and thousands of Iranian-backed militias and Shi’ite pilgrims. | true | Health News | Health Minister Nizar al-Yaziji told state media “necessary measures” had been taken regarding the 20-year-old woman, who he said would be quarantined for 14 days and given medical checks. There have been unconfirmed reports in recent weeks of coronavirus cases in Syria, whose health system, housing and infrastructure ... |
21276 | Current projections indicate that Medicare will go bankrupt by 2017, while Social Security will bottom out by 2037. | Cain says Medicare, Social Security in financial trouble | mixture | Georgia, Health Care, Medicare, Social Security, Herman Cain, | "You can’t accuse Herman Cain of lacking confidence. Metro Atlanta’s Republican hopeful for president ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004 without a lick of experience as an elected official. Now he’s running for president without ever having served in public office. His new book, ""This is Herman Cain! : My Journey to the ... |
9327 | Study suggests more older women may benefit from bone drugs | This article covers a six-year study of 2,000 women in New Zealand ages 65 or older who had a scan indicating osteopenia, or moderate bone loss. Half received up to four infusions of the bisphosphonate zoledronate acid (brand name Reclast), administered in 18 month intervals. The other half received placebo infusions. ... | true | osteoporosis,Reclast | The article states that a generic version of Reclast costs $200 to $500 per infusion, “depending on insurance and other factors.” The article explains that the study found that 122 women in the group assigned to receive the drug had broken a bone compared to 190 of those in the placebo group, amounting to a 37% lowered... |
13884 | We flood communities with so many guns that it is easier for a teenager to buy a Glock than get his hands on a computer or even a book. | "Obama said, ""We flood communities with so many guns that it is easier for a teenager to buy a Glock than get his hands on a computer or even a book."" There’s little doubt that in some lower-income and high-crime neighborhoods, it is strikingly easy for even teens to acquire a handgun. On this, there is ample anecdot... | false | National, Guns, Barack Obama, | "President Barack Obama attracted attention for a bold assertion about how easy it is to obtain a gun during his speech at an interfaith memorial service for five officers slain by a sniper in Dallas, Texas. ""As a society, we choose to underinvest in decent schools,"" he said. ""We allow poverty to fester so that enti... |
26335 | Regarding the risks of coronavirus transmission on an airplane, “It’s as safe as an environment as you’re going to find.” | Studies show that infectious disease transmission can occur on airplanes, particularly if you are seated next to someone who is carrying an illness. Some research suggests that airplanes’ highly effective ventilation systems make them safer than other enclosed modes of transportation, like subways. But it is difficult ... | false | Texas, Health Check, Coronavirus, Gary Kelly, | "During an appearance on ""Face the Nation,"" Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said that he believed it was safe for Americans to fly during the coronavirus epidemic and that a plane is as safe as any other space. ""I don’t think the risk on an airplane is any greater risk than anywhere else, and in fact, you just look at the ... |
4110 | Health Dept: Plague case reported in a Quay County ranch dog. | The New Mexico Department of Health is reporting a case of plague in a ranch dog from Quay County. | true | Wildlife, Animals, Health, Plague, Pets, Infectious diseases, New Mexico, Dogs | It’s the first case of plague in the state this year. Authorities say the dog has recovered with treatment from his veterinarian. Plague is an infectious disease of animals and humans caused by bacteria that’s usually transmitted through the bite of an infected flea. Pets can also be exposed after eating an infected an... |
10956 | First-in-Canada Implant of Novel Sensor Device for Heart Failure Patients | This news release covers the first implantation of a device called CardioMEMS in a Canadian heart failure patient. The wireless device includes a butterfly-like sensor, which sits inside the patient’s pulmonary artery and sends pressure readings to a secure website. No other context or data are given. Although CardioME... | false | cardiovascular disease | Although this implant was a first in Canada, the news release could have cited costs of existing alternatives and given a ballpark estimate of the new intervention. For example, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a battery-powered device placed under the skin to keep track of heart rate. If an abnormal ... |
15600 | "Ron Fournier Says Mike Huckabee appeared in diabetes infomercials to endorse ""cures and treatments that no health agency supports." | "Fournier said ""no health agencies support"" the ""cures and treatments"" that Huckabee endorsed in an infomercial promising diabetes reversal. Health groups and physicians that specialize in diabetes told us they do not support the approach to ""reversing diabetes"" outlined in the Diabetes Solution Kit that Huckabee... | true | Candidate Biography, Health Care, Science, PunditFact, Ron Fournier, | "Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is distancing himself from the unusual ways he earned money before announcing his White House run May 5, but journalists aren’t letting the former Arkansas governor off the hook. Huckabee, who shed about 100 pounds after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, filmed TV an... |
18340 | Half of all hospitalized seniors are suffering from malnutrition so severe that it either caused their illness or it prevents them from getting better. | "Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island, in a fundraising letter, said: ""In fact, half of all hospitalized seniors are suffering from malnutrition so severe that it either caused their illness or it prevents them from getting better."" To determine a ruling, we broke the statement into three parts. First, are half of all hos... | false | Rhode Island, Health Care, Poverty, Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island, | "In Rhode Island and around the country, Meals on Wheels gets food to elderly people who cannot get it for themselves. The elderly, especially those on a constricted budget or unable to get to a store or a pantry, are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition. A recent fundraising letter sent out by Meals on Wheels of R... |
5550 | India’s worst-hit state for encephalitis turning a tide. | Seven-year-old Aryan Singh could have met the same fate as his cousin, who died seven years ago because the nearest hospital was too far. | true | Health, General News, India, Asia, International News, South Asia, Asia Pacific | When Aryan returned home from school with a low-grade fever in mid-September, his mother initially dismissed it as seasonal, worrying only when his temperature shot up overnight. She hopped on her husband’s motorbike with her son clinging to her, riding through the rutted roads of their village in India’s northern stat... |
7321 | ACLU files 1st coronavirus curfew lawsuit in Puerto Rico. | The ACLU said Sunday it is seeking an injunction to block part of Puerto Rico’s strict curfew against the new coronavirus, arguing that some of its restrictions are unconstitutional. | true | Health, General News, Latin America, Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Virus Outbreak, Lawsuits | The curfew imposed March 15 has shuttered non-essential businesses in the U.S. territory and ordered people to stay home from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. and remain there even outside those hours unless they have to buy food or medicine, go to the bank or have an emergency or health-related situation. Violators face a $5,000 or a... |
5859 | Oklahoma suffers largest syphilis outbreak in recent history. | State health officials say Oklahoma County is in the midst of the largest syphilis outbreak in recent state history. | true | Sexually transmitted diseases, Oklahoma City, Health, Oklahoma, Syphilis | The state Health Department’s manager of HIV and sexually transmitted disease services, Kristen Eberly, said this is the largest number of cases connecting to the same infection she’s seen in her 13 years with the department. The outbreak comes as Oklahoma is also seeing a rising number of residents dying from heroine ... |
33231 | Cups of instant noodles pose a deadly danger to consumers due to the cups' wax linings. | Cups of instant noodles do not pose a deadly danger to consumers due to the cups' wax linings. | false | Food | E-mailed warnings against a non-existent lurking threat regarding cups of instant noodles made their Internet debut in early October 2000, although the belief that eating instant noodles causes a waxy internal buildup is actually older than that: [Collected via e-mail, 2000] For our health concern, pls pass on the msg... |
9951 | Debate over cognitive, traditional mental health therapy | This is an important enterprise story examining the debate among mental health professionals over cognitive behavioral therapy versus traditional psychoanalysis. This is not a story that was done simply in reaction to a news release or a journal article or a talk at a scientific meeting. Rather, it is an exploration of... | true | "The story does not discuss the cost of CBT compared to other therapies. The story notes it is seen as a cost-effective treatment when compared to older modes of treatment that can stretch over many years (e.g. psychoanalysis) which may not have a target date or specific goals for making behavioral changes. However, co... | |
11201 | New Data Establishes Image Guided Treatment Option for Prostate Cancer as an Alternative to Surgery by Reducing Recovery Times and Lower Side Effects | There is much interest in the treatment world about the area of irreversible electroporation (IRE), which is a new way to damage cancer cells inside solid tumors, including prostate cancer tumors, by using an electric current. IRE, marketed as the NanoKnife, is a “new minimally invasive surgical technique that selectiv... | false | Cancer,Diagnostic tests,Imaging,Prostate cancer | The release does not discuss costs. The release does give a list of outcomes, and uses quantitative language to describe them, but there’s nothing to substantiate the claim that these outcomes are better than what would be achieved with a more conventional treatment approach. The release doesn’t mention outcomes like s... |
21976 | I did not say that I would not have them [Muslims] in my Cabinet. | Cain denies claims he said he would not appoint Muslims | false | Georgia, Islam, Religion, Herman Cain, | "Former pizza CEO and talk show host Herman Cain loves to say he’s not politically correct. Now, his brash words have pushed him to correct the political record. On ""The Glenn Beck Program"" radio show May 24, the Republican presidential hopeful tried to rebut accusations that in March he said he would not appoint Mus... |
13470 | "Patrick Murphy Says ""Marco Rubio would take away a woman’s right to choose for victims of rape or incest." | "Murphy said, ""Marco Rubio would take away a woman’s right to choose for victims of rape or incest."" Rubio has been a staunch opponent of abortion for years, but his position is subtly shaded. He thinks abortion should not be allowed unless the mother’s life is endangered. But he is willing to support legislation tha... | true | Abortion, Voting Record, Florida, Patrick Murphy, | "U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy said Sen. Marco Rubio has a zero-compromise position on abortion. In a new campaign ad that started appearing Sept. 20, 2016, Murphy’s campaign said Rubio, the Republican incumbent, refuses to give ground on the issue, even in extenuating circumstances. ""Marco Rubio would take away a woman’s ... |
7877 | Exclusive: UK's worst case coronavirus toll is 50,000 dead but UK is not on course for that - source. | The British government’s worst case scenario envisages a coronavirus death toll of 50,000 if self isolation is not fully adhered to, but the United Kingdom is not right now on course for a toll of that scale, a source familiar with the government’s emergency discussions said. | true | Health News | According to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, the worst day for deaths is projected to be April 12, which this year is Easter Sunday. The worst case death toll would be based on partial adherence to quarantine by the population at a level of about 50%, according to th... |
4016 | Lamont seeks to end religious exemption to vaccinations. | Gov. Ned Lamont recommended Monday that Connecticut join a growing number of states in eliminating the religious exemption for childhood vaccinations. | true | Ned Lamont, Health, Measles, General News, Connecticut, Public health, United States | Lamont, a Democrat, and Health Commissioner Renee Coleman-Mitchell proposed that the General Assembly do away with the exemption by the start of the 2021-22 school year. The decision follows the recent release of statistics from the state Department of Public Health showing the percentage of Connecticut kindergarteners... |
10131 | Anti-obesity surgery for youths triples | This story reported on a recently published scientific article documenting an increase in the number of children having weight loss surgery. The story mentioned that rates of surgical complications were lower in children than in adults, and that their hospital stays were shorter. But it gave no estimates of weight loss... | mixture | "The story provided an estimate of hospital charges associated with weight loss surgery in children. The story did not quantify the benefits associated with the treatment. There was no estimate of average weight loss observed, though there was discussion of one young man who lost 200 pounds in the 18 months following s... | |
1585 | Heads up: intact skull sheds light on big, long-necked dinosaurs. | A beautifully preserved fossil skull unearthed in Argentina is giving scientists unparalleled insight into the sensory capabilities and behavior of a group of dinosaurs that were the largest land animals in Earth’s history. | true | Science News | Scientists announced on Tuesday the discovery of the skull as well as neck bones of a newly identified dinosaur called Sarmientosaurus that roamed Patagonia 95 million years ago. CT scans of the skull revealed its brain structure and provided close understanding of its hearing, sight and feeding behavior. Sarmientosaur... |
10086 | Study finds tree nut consumption may lower risk of cardiovascular disease | This release summarizes observations drawn from a review of dozens of previous studies concerning the consumption of tree nuts and its impact on cardiovascular risk factors among healthy adults. While an impressive number (61) of studies were examined, just 21 dealt specifically with walnuts as opposed to the wider fam... | mixture | cardiovascular disease,industry/commercial news releases | We won’t ding the story for not mentioning costs, although walnuts certainly are expensive. Each one of us passes by bags of walnuts every time we go to the grocery store and probably have at least a vague idea of what they cost. While in most cases the release carefully states that the study analysis included “tree nu... |
3583 | Hearing on medical pot for ailing pets delayed in New Mexico. | A pubic hearing has been delayed on a petition to open up New Mexico’s medical marijuana program to ailing pets. | true | Medical marijuana, General News, Marijuana, Pets, New Mexico | New Mexico’s medical cannabis advisory board declined to hear the proposal Tuesday because a quorum of board members was not in attendance or available by phone. Chairwoman Laura Brown was the only board member to attend the meeting in person and apologized when several agenda items were postponed for at least 30 days.... |
35054 | "A photograph posted on social media in March 2020 shows an authentic image of U.S. President Donald Trump's speech notes with the word ""Corona"" scratched out and replaced in handwriting by ""Chinese." | Those images were authentic. The original, official photograph was taken by Botsford himself and published by the Getty Images agency on March 19. The website described the image as follows: | true | Politics, COVID-19 | In March 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump faced widespread scrutiny for various aspects of his administration’s response to the economic and public health crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other points of criticism was his repeated insistence on referring to the disease as the “Chinese virus,” despite w... |
14068 | The presence of gorillas calls into question the concept of evolution. | Limbaugh said the presence of gorillas calls into question the concept of evolution. Limbaugh hit on a common misconception that humans evolved from modern-day apes. In reality, modern-day humans and modern-day gorillas are cousins, having both evolved from a common, but now extinct, ancestor. | false | Science, PunditFact, Rush Limbaugh, | "A question for the ages: Why is a gorilla a gorilla, and not a human? Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh wondered aloud about primate evolution while discussing the case of a boy who fell into a gorilla enclosure at a Cincinnati zoo. Limbaugh said the zoo keepers did the right thing when they made the difficult but... |
35275 | A chart accurately shows the effectiveness of wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. | What's true: The CDC recommends wearing a cloth face mask in public to help slow the spread of coronavirus. What's false: However, the percentages displayed in this chart cannot be accurate because no scientific consensus exists on the efficacy of homemade masks in stopping the spread of COVID-19. What's undetermined: ... | false | Medical, COVID-19 | Wearing a face covering in public during the COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic is sound advice (and in some circumstances a legal requirement) that could help slow the spread of the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But just how effective are these masks? In April 2020, man... |
10364 | Calcium Scan Can Predict Premature Death Risk, Study Says Noninvasive look at arteries may benefit people without obvious heart symptoms | This story reports that testing generally healthy people for the presence of calcium deposits on the walls of their coronary arteries may provide clues about who is more likely to die over the following 15 years. That’s an interesting finding that was well worth writing about. However, the story then runs beyond the ev... | false | HealthDay,heart disease | The story helpfully notes that the CAC test costs about $100, which matches price quotes from other sources, though the price may be higher in some parts of the country. The story would have been even more useful had it noted that the cost of the test may not be covered by insurance. The story reports that CAC testing ... |
8521 | Some Spaniards head back to work in face masks as country loosens lockdown. | Spaniards at the country’s main transport hubs were handed face masks on a rainy Monday morning as the government relaxed some of the tough lockdown measures designed to rein in the coronavirus health crisis which has claimed nearly 17,000 lives. | true | Health News | As Spain enters its second month of lockdown, some businesses that cannot operate remotely, including construction and manufacturing, were allowed to reopen on Monday, sparking criticism from some regional leaders who fear a resurgence of the outbreak. However, the majority of the population are still confined to their... |
10613 | Pediatric sickle cell study stopped early due to positive results | The national sickle cell study described in this news release from the Medical University of South Carolina could have a significant impact on the future treatment of children with sickle cell disease. We’re told in the lede that the drug hydroxyurea is as effective as blood transfusions in reducing blood flow speeds i... | false | Academic medical center news release | The news release does not cite costs. This is unfortunate because hydroxyurea treatment would likely be less costly than standard treatment with blood transfusion. The news release discusses benefits in only the broadest of terms, citing “positive preliminary results,” and fails to quantify those results. The news rele... |
4509 | Houses passes Alzheimer’s Bill backed by Maine senator. | The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan bill co-authored by Maine’s Republican senator that promises to improve Alzheimer’s disease prevention, treatment and care. | true | Tim Kaine, Catherine Cortez Masto, Susan Collins, Legislation, Health, Bangor, Maine, Alzheimers disease | Sen. Susan Collins authored the bill along with Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia. The bill passed the House Dec. 19 after passing the Senate earlier. Collins says the legislation would use a “public health approach” to ... |
37195 | A forwarded email with an open letter to President Barack Obama from author Lou Pritchett. In it Pritchett lists many of the unanswered questions about the President’s background which raises concerns. | """Obama, You No Longer Scare Me, You Terrify Me"" by Lou Pritchett" | true | Obama, Politics | Lou Pritchett is the author of this opinion and told TruthorFiction.com that he submitted this to the New York Times under the title of “Obama, You Scare Me” but they never published it. Pritchett did say that his article managed to make it to the world wide web where circulation went ballistic. Pritchett is a former ... |
10112 | New Way to Treat Inoperable Lung Cancer | "Lung cancer is a devastating diagnosis. Few tumors are caught early; those that are can be successfully treated with surgery. However, some patients are not eligible for surgery for various reasons. For them, radiation may not cure the cancer but may control it for some time. A new type of radiation, Stereotactic Body... | mixture | "The story does not mention costs or insurance coverage. Likely given how experimental the treatment is, insurance will not cover the procedure. Given that it is not an approved treatment, a simple statement about its cost relative to current therapy could have been helpful. For desperate patients and families struggli... | |
27242 | In 45 states, doctors and medical students are legally allowed to practice pelvic exams on patients who are under anesthesia without being granted explicit consent to do so. | The practice is explicitly outlawed in Hawaii, California, Illinois, Virginia, and Oregon, but it is legal in the remaining 45 states. In 2019, however, multiple states introduced legislative bills aimed at requiring that women undergoing gynecological surgeries give explicit approval to pelvic exams beforehand | true | Politics | On 19 September 2018, Bust magazine highlighted the disturbing fact that doctors and medical students regularly, and legally, give anesthetized patients non-consensual pelvic exams. The practice was described in detail in an account critical of the practice written by then-medical student Shawn Barnes and published in ... |
10539 | Statins May Provide Treatment Alternative for Chronic Liver Disease | This release from the American Physiological Society summarizes a review of 50 studies on the effects of statins on liver function. The release suggests that statins may be a good treatment for chronic liver disease. However, the release doesn’t explain that the review article’s focus is on the basic biological effects... | mixture | Association/Society news release | There is no information about the cost of statin therapy. This class of medicines includes a number of generic formulations that are relatively inexpensive. The release refers to statins as cost-effective. This reference to cost probably refers to their use for preventing heart disease. Whether these agents are cost-ef... |
5245 | Smoking ban at Philly-funded drug programs starts next week. | Philadelphia says recovering addicts will have to stub out their cigarettes before checking into a city-funded inpatient drug treatment program starting next week. | true | Health, Smoking bans, Philadelphia, Addiction treatment | Philly.com reported Friday that the smoking ban covers staff and patients at 80 programs receiving city funding and goes into effect Tuesday. City officials say the move is related to growing research that shows quitting smoking while undergoing addiction treatment means patients have a greater chance at not relapsing.... |
22567 | "Oregon Health Plan rations ""covered procedures under certain circumstances" | One pundit says Oregon Health Plan rations “covered procedures under certain circumstances” | mixture | Oregon, Health Care, Wesley Smith, | "UPDATE, Feb. 21, 2011 -- When we researched this claim, we made three attempts to reach Wesley J. Smith, the author of the Weekly Standard article. He did not respond to our messages, so we researched the claim on the assumption that he was referring to rationing of covered services that the state had previously said ... |
306 | Germany's Opel town shows struggle for Europe to plug in electric cars. | Carmakers and policymakers in Europe are staking their futures on a race to electric vehicles. But the vast charging network needed to sustain their vision is patchy, and it’s not clear who’ll pay for it. | true | Environment | The central German city of Ruesselsheim, home to carmaker Opel, wants to build 1,300 electric car charging points by 2020, plans that would make it a frontrunner on the continent. It has advantages enjoyed by few in Europe, including a powerful local car industry player and wealthy national economy. In Germany itself t... |
11554 | Acupuncture May Help Ease Hot Flashes Tied to Prostate Cancer Treatment | So-so grade for this story. Good points: It emphasized – twice – that this was a “small” – in fact, “very small” study – 14 men. It sought an independent expert’s opinion – someone who brought good perspective to the piece. Weaker points: Why even report on such a small study? Why not include an actual interview with... | mixture | Cancer,HealthDay | The story could have easily provided some cost estimate for four weeks of twice-weekly acupuncture sessions. But it didn’t. Probably the weak point of the story. The story only says “Their reported levels of hot flashes dropped markedly.” What does that mean? From what to what? Measured how? And in how many of the men... |
9618 | A ‘Polypill’ May Be the Next Big Preventive Fix | This is a story about a physician’s viewpoint on a speculative drug known as a “polypill” to battle “heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses all at the same time.” This pill would be used in a preventive way among all healthy adults older than 50. While the notion is interesting–can a one-size-fits-all polypill he... | false | polypill,preventive care | There aren’t specifics on cost. The story states that the various individual medications that might go in a polypill are “cheap,” but we have no evidence that a combined pill would also be cheap. The story links to a “less comprehensive” polypill available online by prescription, but doesn’t tell us how much it costs. ... |
4455 | Sydney Brenner, who helped decipher genetic code, dies at 92. | Sydney Brenner, a Nobel Prize-winning biologist who helped decipher the genetic code and whose research on a roundworm sparked a new field of human disease research, has died. He was 92. | true | Genetics, Singapore, Worms, North America, Science | The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California, where Brenner spent part of his seven-decade career, said he died Friday in Singapore. “He will be remembered in perpetuity for his brilliant discoveries that ushered in a new era of science and a new generation of scientists,” said Ronald Evans, a biologist at t... |
17927 | An average of seven children in America are killed by guns every day. | Group uses kid gun deaths to demand tougher laws | mixture | Georgia, Guns, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, | "There’s little that is more tragic than the death of a child. One group recently attempted to use those emotions to sway a prominent Georgia lawmaker to its side in the national gun legislation debate. Mayors Against Illegal Guns sent backpacks to the Atlanta office of U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss that were filled with p... |
41542 | Asylum seekers in the UK can choose whether they want a flat, house, hostel or bed and breakfast. | Close to 2,000 United Nations employees have called for the global body to reduce its carbon footprint, including through curbs on their own diplomatic perks like business-class flights and travel handouts, a letter obtained by Reuters showed. | false | immigration | The United Nations calls climate change the “defining issue of our time” and is hosting a New York summit on it next week. But reformers within say in the letter addressed to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that it needs more radical change to get its own house in order. “Our commitments need to be more ambitious an... |
5594 | Abortion clinic seeks court order, new license to stay open. | The Dayton area’s last abortion clinic is trying to avoid closure by pursuing a new state license and intervention by a federal court after the Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday again refused to hear its appeal. | true | State courts, Dayton, Health, General News, Abortion, Courts, Ohio, U.S. News | The state court’s decision meant Women’s Med Center faced losing its license as an ambulatory surgical facility because it didn’t meet certain Ohio requirements about hospital transfers and agreements with doctors who could help facilitate hospital care in an emergency. It quickly asked a federal court to temporarily b... |
3052 | Century-old TB vaccine may work better if given in a new way. | Scientists think they’ve figured out how to make a century-old tuberculosis vaccine far more protective: Simply give the shot a different way. | true | AP Top News, Health, General News, Science, Tuberculosis, Monkeys | In a study with monkeys, injecting the vaccine straight into the bloodstream dramatically improved its effectiveness over today’s skin-deep shot, researchers reported Wednesday. “This offers hope,” although more safety studies are required before testing the approach in people, said Dr. Robert Seder of the National Ins... |
7954 | U.S. soldier infected as South Korea coronavirus cases rise above 1,260. | South Korea reported 284 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, including a U.S. soldier, as health authorities prepared to test more than 200,000 members of a church hit hardest by the outbreak. | true | Health News | The new cases pushed the total tally to 1,261, with the numbers expected to rise as the government widens its testing. Of the new cases, 134 were from Daegu city, where a branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which has been linked to outbreaks, is located, the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (KCDC) ... |
11469 | Johns Hopkins Scientists Advance a Novel Urine Test to Predict High-Risk Cervical Cancer | In an effort to increase the accuracy of cervical cancer diagnoses, a team of researchers is developing a urine test that looks for methylation (a mechanism used by cells to control gene expression) in four genes and, at this early stage, shows evidence of both dramatically improving detection of cancer and enhancing p... | true | Academic medical center news release,Screening tests | The release suggests that a urine test would be less costly than a Pap test, but it makes no effort to indicate what the cost is of either the proposed test or a Pap test. On the one hand, the release offers numerical summaries of the test’s abilities to both correctly detect cancer (sensitivity) and correctly identify... |
25873 | M.J. Hegar Says 1 in 5 Texans did not have health insurance coverage before the pandemic, and now “nearly 1 in 3 Texans under the age of 65 don’t have access to health care insurance.” | "The latest data on health insurance coverage shows that in 2018 about one in five Texans was uninsured, as Hegar said. The number of Texans who ""don't have access"" to insurance coverage during the pandemic is harder to pin down, but her “nearly 1 in 3” remark reflects the latest available estimate." | true | Health Care, Texas, Coronavirus, M.J. Hegar, | "After a primary campaign extended by the coronavirus, MJ Hegar was selected by Democratic voters in Texas to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in November. Hegar celebrated her primary election win with a virtual victory party hosted on Facebook, with appearances from state officials and members of the Texas ... |
36840 | Juanita Broaddrick, a volunteer in Bill Clinton’s first gubernatorial campaign, has accused Bill Clinton of raping her in a Little Rock hotel room in 1978. | Juanita Broaddrick Bill Clinton Rape Accusations | unproven | Politics | Juanita Broaddrick’s allegations that Bill Clinton raped her in 1978 first reached a national audience during a 1999 appearance on “Dateline NBC.” Broaddrick, a volunteer for Clinton’s gubernatorial campaign, said during the interview that she didn’t tell anybody at the time because “I just don’t think anyone would hav... |
2285 | Fitness fundamentals still challenge Americans, poll finds. | Despite an explosion of fitness advice from TV shows, blogs, books and online experts, a basic knowledge of health and exercise still eludes most Americans, according to a poll. | true | Health News | It showed that almost three-quarters of more than 1,000 people questioned did not know that they had to burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound of fat, according to the poll by fitness equipment maker Nautilus Inc. The results were posted online, along with an interactive quiz. Only 39 percent grasped that an egg is a heal... |
7223 | Romania maternity hospital hit by superbug to reopen. | Romania’s health minister says a maternity hospital in the capital where 45 babies were diagnosed with a drug-resistant superbug has been given the all-clear to reopen. | true | Bucharest, Health, Romania, Europe | Sorina Pintea said Tuesday that the Giulesti Maternity Hospital, closed on Nov. 30 after newborns were diagnosed with antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, will reopen Dec. 21 after “preliminary results say we don’t have problems.” It isn’t clear how the outbreak began. Health authorities have suggested that the ... |
26429 | Racial comparisons on coronavirus statistics in Monroe County, N.Y., show that the impact on minorities is “basically on par, a little bit up, from the population numbers,” meaning that “we don’t see that disparity as much here.” | At the time of her comment, the share of African American deaths from the coronavirus in Monroe County, N.Y., was only slightly higher than the African American share of the county’s population. However, African Americans accounted for a significantly higher share of intensive care unit hospitalizations and non-ICU hos... | mixture | Race and Ethnicity, Public Health, New York, Coronavirus, Lovely Warren, | "As the coronavirus spreads across the country, officials are taking increasing notice of patterns of infections and deaths among people of different races. In some states, provisional data through April 21 collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed disproportionately high rates of death from co... |
6566 | Denver, northern Colorado fall short on US clean air rules. | Denver and northern Colorado’s urban corridor failed to meet federal ozone pollution standards, and the state will have to come up with a new plan to clean up the air, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday. | true | Colorado, General News, Jared Polis, Denver, Environment, Pollution | The move was expected after Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said in March the state would no longer ask for an exemption from the standards by claiming some of the pollution was drifting from China and elsewhere, rather than being created in Colorado. The EPA said it plans to downgrade Denver and eight other counties in no... |
35136 | "The White House sent out text messages in mid-March 2020 informing people that a ""mandatory quarantine"" in U.S. would start within 48 hours. " | Six Bay Area counties announced a “shelter in place” order for all residents, directing everyone to stay in their homes for the next 3 weeks as officials desperately try to curb the spread of #coronavirus.https://t.co/1C4HVVMSjS | false | Medical, COVID-19 | In mid-March 2020, many social media users reported receiving a text message informing them that a “mandatory quarantine” or a “national lockdown” would occur in the next 48 hours in the U.S. to control the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease. While a few versions of this viral message exist, the following text ... |
5443 | Lawsuit: Negligence caused Legionnaires’ outbreak at hotel. | A lawsuit filed Monday alleges “negligence in the operation and maintenance of the water systems” caused a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at a downtown Atlanta hotel that killed one person and potentially sickened dozens. | true | State courts, Georgia, Lawsuits, Legionnaires disease, Public health, Atlanta, Courts, Disease outbreaks, General News | State and county health officials are investigating the outbreak among people who stayed at or visited the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel between June 22 and July 15. There have been 12 lab-confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease, including one person who died, and 63 probable cases, Georgia Department of Public Health spokes... |
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