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9463 | What to know about the new affordable at-home BRCA genetic mutation test | This story did do some very important things: including provide cost information and explaining how the test is made available. We’re unclear, though, why this story is something worth doing. There’s no evidence provided in the story to show that this test does anything to improve health outcomes for women. And it does... | mixture | BRCA | The story talks about the test being $149 and that it is the most affordable test on the market. There is no information quantifying the benefits of the test in the story. Has this type of genetic testing been shown to reduce deaths rates from breast cancer? And if so, by how much? Also, according to research, how like... |
9451 | Breast Cancer Screenings Still Best for Early Detection | Beyond October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it’s not clear why this story–which is a rehash of a news release–was published. It won’t serve readers well: The story contains no new information; it oversimplifies the ongoing complexities of the debate about appropriate levels of breast cancer screening and their ... | false | breast cancer,screening | The article lacked information on costs. Insurance does not always cover screening. Beyond vague generalizations of benefits, this article is essentially data free. Based on research, to what degree do these various screening methods save lives? The story doesn’t say. There are potential and actual harms to screenings,... |
2877 | China doctor gets suspended death sentence for trafficking newborn babies. | A Chinese court on Tuesday handed down a suspended death sentence on a doctor who sold seven newborn babies to human traffickers, a case that sparked widespread anger in a country where child trafficking is rampant. | true | Health News | Zhang Shuxia, 55, an obstetrician in northwestern Shaanxi province’s Fuping county, was found guilty of selling the babies for as much as 21,600 yuan ($3,600) each between 2011 and 2013, the court in Weinan city said. Zhang tricked the parents to give up their newborns by convincing them the infants had incurable disea... |
2426 | Diabetes battle 'being lost' as cases hit record 382 million. | The world is losing the battle against diabetes as the number of people estimated to be living with the disease soars to a new record of 382 million this year, medical experts said on Thursday. | true | Health News | The vast majority have type 2 diabetes - the kind linked to obesity and lack of exercise - and the epidemic is spreading as more people in the developing world adopt Western, urban lifestyles. The latest estimate from the International Diabetes Federation is equivalent to a global prevalence rate of 8.4 percent of the ... |
1945 | Weight Watchers works, scientific study finds. | Overweight patients told by their doctors to go to Weight Watchers lose around twice as much weight as people receiving standard weight loss care over 12 months, according to the findings of a study published on Thursday. | true | Science News | In the first randomized controlled trial — considered the gold standard of scientific analysis — to directly compare a commercial weight-loss program with standard care by family doctors, Weight Watchers was found to be more than twice as effective. More people stuck to the Weight Watchers diet, they lost more weight a... |
3784 | Can Washington deliver on drug costs amid impeachment probe?. | Major legislation to reduce prescription drug costs for millions of people may get sidelined now that House Democrats have begun an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump. Proposals had been moving in Congress, but there are more ways for the process to break down than to succeed. Still, nobody says they’re givi... | true | Hillary Clinton, AP Top News, Health care industry, Health, General News, Legislation, Politics, Impeachments, Prescription drug costs, Business, Prescription drugs, Prices, Medicare, Trump impeachment inquiry, Donald Trump | Some questions and answers about the legislation and its uncertain prospects: Q: Why, now, is there a big push to lower drug prices? A: Some would say it’s overdue. Drug prices emerged as the public’s top health care concern near the end of the Obama administration as people with health insurance got increasingly worri... |
10947 | Could an Inexpensive, Underused Drug Reduce Blood Loss During Surgery? Study finds tranexamic acid reduces the need for blood transfusions during joint replacement procedures. | Investors cheered Spanish group Repsol’s (REP.MC) pledge to slash net carbon emissions to zero by mid-century, saying they hope it will pile pressure on rival oil and gas companies to follow suit in the fight against climate change. | true | U.S. News & World Report | The world’s top oil and gas companies are under heavy pressure, not only from environmental groups but also from institutional investors, to fall in line with targets set in the 2015 Paris climate agreement to limit global warming. Repsol on Monday became the first leading energy firm to commit to a net-zero emission t... |
395 | Pfizer Japan recalls high blood pressure drug over cancer-causing impurity. | The Japanese subsidiary of Pfizer Inc is recalling a drug for high blood pressure which was found to contain a carcinogenic substance in its active ingredient valsartan, the drugmaker said on Friday. | true | Health News | More than 763,000 tablets of the drug Amvalo, manufactured from April to July in Mylan Laboratories Limited in India, are the subject of recall, Pfizer Japan Inc said in a statement, adding there were no reports of any damage to health. “We will fully pay careful attention to our manufacturing and quality control to pr... |
28863 | Car headrests were deliberately designed to be removed so that they can be used to smash windows during emergencies. | What's true: Car headrests can be used as tools to break vehicle windows in emergencies. What's false: Car headrests were not designed to serve this function. | mixture | Automobiles, Highway Hazards | In April 2016, a message circulated on Facebook affirming that car seat headrests were deliberately designed to be detachable and sturdy so that they could be used to break car windows in emergencies: This “survival tip” has been around for several years and has been featured in a number of survival blogs, but it gai... |
7987 | Diabetes, lung and heart disease common in U.S. coronavirus patients: CDC. | Diabetes, heart disease and long-term lung problems are the most common underlying conditions among Americans hospitalized with the illness caused by the new coronavirus, but more than one in five people requiring intensive care had no such health issues, according to a report issued on Tuesday. | true | Health News | The findings show that higher percentages of COVID-19 patients with underlying conditions were being admitted to hospitals and intensive care units (ICUs), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. That echoes patterns seen in other countries hit har... |
3169 | India’s capital restricts cars as people choke in dirty air. | Authorities restricted many private vehicles from taking to the roads of India’s capital on Monday amid a public health crisis that has left New Delhi residents gasping and their eyes burning from toxic air pollution. | true | International News, General News, India, Air pollution, Public health, Health, Asia Pacific, New Delhi, Air quality, Pollution | The “odd-even” scheme will restrict private vehicles with odd-number license plates to driving on odd dates while even-numbered plates are allowed on even-numbered dates. It was begun days after authorities began emergency control measures and ordered the closure of schools as pollution levels reached a three-year high... |
10695 | New Study Shows Balloon in a Capsule Helps Patients Lose Nearly Twice as Much Weight Than Diet, Exercise and Lifestyle Therapy Alone | Obalon Balloon System. Screenshot from FDA recently approved medical devices web page.This news release about a weight loss device recently approved by the FDA provides a basic description of the results of a trial, but doesn’t put them into context. The Obalon intragastric balloon is very similar to other inflatable b... | false | Association/Society news release | The release does not discuss costs. Although the manufacturer has not revealed the price it plans to charge in the U.S., the Obalon device is on the market in Europe and Mexico, where prices, including office procedures, range from $2,500 to $4,000. It should be noted that prices for medical devices in the US are gener... |
26566 | "Facebook post Says Ron Johnson said Americans should go back to work, because ""death is an unavoidable part of life." | A summary of Johnson’s USA TODAY guest column implied he was calling for a widespread return to work. That’s an exaggeration, since Johnson supports continued social distancing and some business closures. But Johnson did refer to death being unavoidable while noting the impacts a prolonged shutdown could have on employ... | mixture | Wisconsin, Coronavirus, Facebook posts, | "Leaders across the country are largely unanimous in calling for compliance with dramatic social changes to slow the spread of the coronavirus. U.S. Sen Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican elected after a long career in the business world, struck a slightly different chord in a guest column in USA TODAY. The piece drew... |
19348 | Barack Hussein Obama will .. force Christian organizations to pay for abortions. | PAC ad says Obama will force Christian groups to pay for abortions | false | Abortion, National, Message Machine 2012, Government is Not God PAC, | "A super PAC called Government is Not God is running an ad in newspapers around the country warning readers of dire consequences if the president wins a second term. ""Barack Hussein Obama,"" the ad says, ""will move America to force Christian organizations to pay for abortion."" That claim tops a list of numerous char... |
3735 | Hong Kong to add mystery illness to reportable diseases. | Hong Kong’s health chief said Tuesday that a respiratory illness whose cause remains unknown will be added to an official list of diseases that medical practitioners are required to report to the government. | true | Wuhan, Pneumonia, General News, Health, Hong Kong | The disease — an unidentified form of viral pneumonia — has sent 59 people to the hospital in the mainland Chinese city of Wuhan, in central Hubei province. As of Sunday, seven were in critical condition, while the rest were stable. Municipal authorities have ruled out SARS, the severe acute respiratory syndrome that k... |
39698 | A first-hand story of a person (some version say it was a woman) who was told by the doctor to use a copper penny next time she got stung by a bee. She tried it a couple of times on both herself and a visiting friend and putting the penny reduced the pain and swelling. | Pennies to help remedy bee stings? | unproven | Medical, Miscellaneous | We have not found any credible evidence or research that substantiates putting a copper penny on a sting for relief. We have found a lot of people on the Internet who believe it helps. It seems that copper pennies are regarded as a remedy for a variety of things among folk remedy enthusi... |
29567 | "Drinking wine before bed ""officially makes you skinny." | "What's true: A 2010 Harvard study found that women who drank gained less weight than non-drinkers. What's false: The 2010 Harvard study found that women who drank wine still gained weight (even if less so than non-drinkers), and no research in 2015 proved that wine ""makes you skinny"" or aids weight loss." | false | Viral Phenomena, daily mail, harvard, misconstrued research | On 17 February 2016 the web site Total Sorority Move published an article which claimed drinking wine before bed “officially makes you skinny,” maintaining: Whether you’re casually sipping a cabernet blend while laying in bed and reading a book or chugging Franzia until you knock yourself out, there’s no denying that w... |
5860 | Health department urges syphilis testing for pregnant women. | The state health department is urging pregnant women to get tested for syphilis after a spike in the number of babies born with the disease. | true | Prenatal care, Alabama, Health, Syphilis | The Alabama Department of Public Health issued the precaution after at least 10 infants were born with the severe illness. That compares with three cases each in 2014 and 2015. Congenital syphilis results from untreated syphilis in the infant’s mother before delivery. It is preventable by ensuring that women with syphi... |
6253 | State offers grants for specialized court programs. | The state of Ohio is now offering $7.5 million in grant funding to support the expansion of specialized court programs focusing on recovery from substance use or mental health disorders. | true | Mental health, Mike DeWine, Health, General News, Ohio | Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement Tuesday that the funding will help specialty courts in Ohio direct those arrested for non-violent crimes toward recovery. Specialized court dockets allow judges the flexibility to place defendants with mental health or substance use disorders into treatment rather than se... |
27277 | In 1965 a 'grossly obese' man survived without eating for one year and 17 days, living entirely off his body fat and supplemental vitamins. | Mr. A. B. has never been identified publicly, though he was thanked by the authors of the case report “for his cheerful co-operation and steadfast application to the task of achieving a normal physique.” | true | Medical, weight loss | A popular story immortalized in the “weird fact” genre of memes concerns a Scottish man (given the identity “Mr. A.B.” by researchers) who fasted for one year and 17 days, successfully losing 276 pounds in the process. A popular online summary of this feat, taken from “Weird Facts”, reads as follows: In 1965 a ‘grossly... |
29949 | "A video shows a man vaporized instantly from electrocution and/or exposure to hydrofluoric or “sulfuric hydrofluoric"" acid." | This video has been shared and re-shared several times on multiple explicit “shock” websites. It is also grainy, out of focus, and of highly uncertain provenance. It is likely that the video was edited, but of this we are certain: hydrofluoric acid, fluorosulfuric acid, and/or old-school electrocution did not cause a m... | false | Fauxtography | Since at least October 2018, the video of a man perched atop a tanker truck ostensibly being electrocuted by an overhead powerline before apparently disappearing into thin air has been shared with multiple explanations of dubious credibility. Some videos, such as one published on LiveLeak, described the incident simply... |
3799 | Trump plan would channel prescription discounts to patients. | The Trump administration Thursday unveiled a plan to channel now-hidden prescription drug rebates directly to patients, saying it would bypass middlemen and lower prices for consumers. | true | Medication, Alex Azar, Health, Politics, North America, Prescription drug costs, Business, Medicare, Prices, Prescription drugs, Donald Trump | The proposed regulation from Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar would eliminate behind-the-scenes discounts among drugmakers, insurers and go-betweens and instead require that they be paid directly to consumers when they buy their medications. The idea is to do away with a hidden cost seen as contributing to... |
11615 | New Pill Found to Cut Weight With Few Side Effects: Study | The story does a good job placing this drug into the context of the current competition to bring a new blockbuster weight-loss pill to market, and it brings in a critical, independent voice, albeit late in the story. But it doesn’t provide enough details to allow readers to make their own judgments about the quality of... | true | "There is a passing reference to costs, which is more than the other two stories provided. But it would not have taken much effort to gather some basic cost ranges for a drug that has to be taken twice a day for at least a year to see results. The story did give weight loss amounts for people in the study. We wish they... | |
5650 | Anti-mosquito spraying planned in Rhode Island. | Rhode Island officials say they have scheduled anti-mosquito spraying for Sunday in four areas of the state where eastern equine encephalitis has been detected. | true | Health, Westerly, General News, West Warwick, Rhode Island | Environmental and health officials say the spraying will be done in the evening and overnight hours, weather permitting. The state has identified the four areas as “critical risk” locations for the disease. The areas include Central Falls, parts of Westerly, West Warwick and northern Rhode Island near the Massachusetts... |
24296 | "Debra Medina Says a prank phone call caused ""400 children to be taken from their parents... without warrant." | Medina says 400 children were taken from their parents because of a hoax | mixture | Civil Rights, Texas, Debra Medina, | "Republican Debra Medina recently issued a call to action asking fellow Texans to join her in ""the fight for freedom"" that she's dubbed the cornerstone of her campaign for governor. ""Why have we Texans allowed 400 children to be taken from their parents, from a prank call, without warrant?"" her Jan. 27 e-mail state... |
27535 | Plastic soda bottles left in unsuspecting residents' yards may be bottle bombs. | This investigation began on December 13th of last year. Since then, police have found several of these devices and the Dayton Bomb Squad has been called to detonate some of them. If you find a similar device, you’re asked to call 9-1-1 immediately, and do not try to pick it up or move it. | true | Crime, crime warnings | “Bottle bombs” (also commonly known as “Drano bombs” or “works bombs”) are not a new phenomenon; they’ve been a favorite of youthful pranksters for decades, as their construction requires only a few ordinary, commonly available components: plastic soda bottles, aluminum foil, and Drano (or other brand of household drai... |
33687 | Drug users are disposing of their used needles by putting them into the coin return slots of public telephones, thereby infecting unsuspecting victims with hepatitis and HIV. | Health Related Hoaxes and Rumors (Centers for Disease Control) | false | Horrors, classic urban legends, hiv legends, hypodermic needle | Just when you thought it was safe to leave the house, out pops another breathless piece of scarelore warning us about a new appearance of that bogeyman of our era, AIDS. (A cousin to this scare has to do with deliberate infection of young people who are stabbed with contaminated needles by anonymous assailants at movie... |
18039 | Medicaid spending declined by 1.9 percent in 2012, the second such decline in 47 years. | Obama official touts lower Medicaid spending | true | Georgia, Medicaid, Kathleen Sebelius, | "The Obama administration’s top health care official recently gave a speech in Atlanta and made some specific comments about Medicaid spending that we wanted to diagnose. PolitiFact Georgia was alerted to comments U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius made on the topic through Twitter posts from pe... |
28533 | We investigated a number of hoaxes, rumors, and conspiracy theories associated with a mass shooting on the Las Vegas strip on 1 October 2017. | Even after Vegas shooting conspiracies had begun circulating, forum posters recalled the post as linked to the boxing match. Although there was some confusion, posters for the most part correctly identified the Craigslist post as dated to early August 2017. The advertisement was legitimate, but it was retrofitted to al... | mixture | Politics Conspiracy Theories, las vegas, las vegas mass shooting, las vegas shooter | On 1 October 2017, a shooter opened fire on an outdoor country music festival in Las Vegas, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds. As is often the case with major or tragic events, rumors immediately began to flow, even before the shooting ended and the investigation began. The shooting began just after 10 P.M. local... |
8784 | Gilead wins OK to promote drug for hepatitis B. | Gilead Sciences said on Monday it won U.S. approval to promote its AIDS drug Viread for treating adults with chronic hepatitis B. | true | Health News | Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening infection that can destroy the liver. Gilead estimates that more than 400 million people worldwide have the disease, which is most prevalent in Asian countries. It is the leading cause of liver cancer and complications kill up to 1.2 million people per year. Viread, kn... |
23045 | Livable Damascus Says Steve Spinnett has court judgments against him for trespass and harassment. | Livable Damascus says Steve Spinnett has judgments against him for trespass and harassment | mixture | Oregon, Ethics, Livable Damascus, | "Anyone following Damascus politics is probably not surprised that the race for mayor has taken a nasty turn. Candidate Steve Spinnett, who has a long history of community and political activism, says political mailings, one of them anonymous, have made wild accusations about him. He brought several documents to Politi... |
35045 | "Rush Limbaugh once said, ""It has not been proven that nicotine is addictive." | However, Limbaugh effectively confirmed the authenticity of the quotation and reiterated the same point in a lengthy rebuttal of FAIR’s article, which the organization itself printed. Limbaugh wrote (emphasis added): | true | Questionable Quotes | In February 2020, Rush Limbaugh announced he had been diagnosed with “advanced lung cancer,” prompting widespread reflection on the controversial and influential conservative talk radio host’s career, as well as renewed scrutiny of his past pronouncements. In light of Limbaugh’s lung cancer diagnosis, some of his detra... |
2432 | Fitness experts extol machine-less workout. | Man versus machines? In the realm of fitness at least man seems to be winning. | true | Health News | Despite a gym floor bulging with weight-lifting equipment, fitness experts said the only thing people need to push, pull and lift is the weight of their own body. “If more people knew you could get a good physique using your body as a bar bell, they could take matters into their own hands,” said Bret Contreras, author ... |
38139 | Las Vegas shooting survivor Kymberley Suchomel was found dead at her home after emerging as an important witness who could identify a second shooter. | Las Vegas Shooting Witness Who Identified 2nd Shooter Found Dead | false | Mass Shootings | A young woman named Kymberley Suchomel who survived the Las Vegas mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival that left 58 dead died suddenly a week later. However, Suchomel didn’t come forward as a witness who saw a second shooter, and her death hasn’t been described as suspicious. Suchomel, 28, was not injured in ... |
9569 | MICHIGAN ATHLETIC GROUP SAYS CONCUSSION PROGRAM WORKS | Concussions incurred during sporting events in middle and high schools may have substantial health impacts on young athletes. Recognition of those impacts has grown exponentially in the US, generating earnest efforts to find ways to diagnose possible problems during games, before an athlete returns to the fray and runs... | mixture | Concussion | The story includes details about costs incurred by the state-based organization that conducted the study. While the story heralds the “positive impact” of this testing program and goes on to note that schools participating in the pilot program “removed players for possible concussions at a higher rate” than schools not... |
30023 | A photograph shows a prescription for several stimulants, sedatives, and narcotic painkillers issued to singer Elvis Presley the day before he died. | Nichopoulos died on 24 February 2016 at the age of 88. | false | Fauxtography | On 3 December 2018, the Facebook page “Pictures in History” posted what appeared to be a prescription written by Elvis Presley’s doctor, George Nichopoulos, the day before the singer died at his Graceland estate in Memphis on 16 August 1977: Several clear indicators show this document to be a forgery. First, the ZIP c... |
9454 | Gene therapy helps boys with 'Lorenzo's Oil' disease | This story is one of two that we are reviewing (the other is from the New York Times) that focuses on a recent paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine. At issue is a novel gene therapy used to limit or eliminate symptoms related to the disease adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). The AP story does a good job of m... | true | ALD,gene therapy,Lorenzo's oil | The story does not discuss cost, but it does at least acknowledge that cost may be an issue. As the story notes: “The main questions are how long the benefits will last, how much the treatment will cost if it wins approval, and whether it will replace stem cell transplants from donors, he wrote” (emphasis added). The N... |
8137 | New Delhi and scores of Indian districts under lockdown to contain coronavirus spread. | New Delhi will be under lockdown until March 31, the Indian capital’s government announced on Sunday, seeking to keep citizens indoors to prevent the spread of coronavirus and giving police powers to punish violators. | true | Health News | The city’s borders with neighboring states will be sealed and public transport will be suspended, said the city’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal. “We have learnt this from the world that the less you venture outside, the less you come in contact with the world that much we can save ourselves,” Kejriwal told reporters.... |
27109 | Razor blades were found in gas-pump handles in Michigan. | Every year, parents and children hear rumors of Halloween candy tainted with everything from razor blades to poison to drug. Oftentimes those reports are nothing more than hoaxes. | true | Viral Phenomena | On 16 April 2019, local news stations in Coloma Township, Michigan, began reporting that razor blades had been found in the handles of gas pumps there. Historically we have found an overlap between real reports of sharp objects placed in mundane items, like gas-pumps and shopping-cart handles, and urban legends of such... |
2786 | U.S. hospitals hit with shortage of intravenous saline. | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it is working with the three manufacturers of intravenous saline solutions commonly used to hydrate hospital patients to address a shortage caused by a spike in demand. | true | Health News | Healthcare providers are reserving supplies of the fluids for their most seriously ill patients, and the product manufacturers - Baxter International Inc, Hospira Inc and B. Braun Medical Inc - have stepped up production in response, said Valerie Jensen, FDA’s associate director for drug shortages. “We have not heard o... |
5804 | VA data show veteran suicide highest in US West, rural areas. | Suicide among military veterans is especially high in the western U.S. and rural areas, according to new government data released Friday that show wide state-by-state disparities and suggest social isolation, gun ownership and access to health care may be factors. | true | Access to health care, Health, Politics, North America, Veterans, Veterans affairs | The figures released Friday are the first-ever Department of Veterans Affairs data on suicide by state. It shows Montana, Utah, Nevada and New Mexico had the highest rates of veteran suicide as of 2014, the most current VA data available. Veterans in big chunks of those states must drive 70 miles or more to reach the n... |
402 | J&J, plaintiffs 'close' to deal on Pinnacle hip implant lawsuits: lawyer. | Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Orthopaedics unit is in settlement talks to resolve the bulk of individual lawsuits alleging the company’s metal-on-metal Pinnacle hip implants were defective and caused severe injuries, a lawyer for the plaintiffs said on Monday. | true | Health News | Texas-based plaintiff lawyer Mark Lanier said lawyers for the consumers had talked to the company in recent days to reach an agreement to resolve the long-running litigation that includes more than 10,000 cases. “It’s still not a done deal, but we’re getting close,” Lanier said, adding that plaintiffs hope to reach a f... |
38339 | President Trump plans to cut federal funding for Meals on Wheels, a program providing meals to the elderly, poor and veterans, to save money for his border wall. | President Trump Plans to Cut Meals on Wheels Program | mixture | Government | President Trump’s budget blueprint would eliminate some sources of federal funding for local and national Meals on Wheels programs — but the status of the Older Americans Act, which provides about 35 percent of funding for Meals on Wheels, isn’t yet clear. The Trump administration released a “skinny budget” blue print ... |
9103 | CHEO researchers identify practices leading to safer outcomes in procedural sedation for children | Children treated in emergency rooms facing painful procedures are usually given a sedative. This news release on a Canadian study reports that the safest form of sedative among six different drug combinations is ketamine, according to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Canada, which led the study. This release... | mixture | Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute,pediatric medicine,sedation | There was no mention of cost. The costs of a visit to the emergency room can be extensive with the cost of sedation a relatively small part of the overall cost. Even so, ballpark costs of sedation would have been helpful to include. The release did not give absolute numbers for the benefits, just percentages. The main ... |
919 | First Ebola patient in eastern Congo's main city dies. | The first Ebola patient in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s largest city, Goma, has died, the government said on Tuesday. | true | Health News | The spread of the virus to Goma, a city of roughly 1 million people on the border with Rwanda, has raised fears the outbreak, which is already the second deadliest Ebola epidemic ever, could spread more widely. The patient was a priest who became infected during a visit to the town of Butembo, one of the epicentres of ... |
6688 | Surgeon General: Federal drug classification needs changes. | The nation’s drug classification system should be revisited but illegal drugs shouldn’t simply be decriminalized nationwide, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams told a gathering of police leaders focused on the opioids crisis Thursday in Boston. | true | Alex Azar, Health, Boston, North America, Legal Marijuana, Michael Pence | “Our scheduling system is functioning, but not as ideally as it could,” he said of the federal schedule for controlled substances maintained by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration. “Things aren’t static. We have to continue to evolve.” Adams, who serves as the primary adviser on pub... |
26594 | We've done more tests in eight days than South Korea has done in eight weeks. | The best numbers available don't support what Trump said. As of March 24, about 348,582 people in South Korea had been tested since it began in early February. A credible database of U.S. testing estimates that between March 15 and March 24, the U.S. conducted about 331,000 tests. These numbers do not reflect the diffe... | false | Health Check, Donald Trump, | "Boasting about his administration’s response to the novel coronavirus — and arguing the outbreak would soon be under control — President Donald Trump claimed that recent American efforts to test widely for COVID-19 surpass those of other countries. ""We've done more tests in eight days than South Korea has done in eig... |
36457 | "Comedian Dave Chappelle said, ""If you stopped listening to Michael Jackson because of an HBO documentary, I have some bad news for you about the Catholic Church." | Did Dave Chappelle Say ‘If You Stopped Listening to Michael Jackson … I Have Some Bad News About the Catholic Church’? | unproven | Entertainment, Fact Checks | The March 2019 wide release of documentary Leaving Neverland prompted a flurry of social media activity, among the posts was a meme purportedly quoting comedian Dave Chappelle about reaction to the documentary, Michael Jackson, and the Catholic Church:Originally published via Facebook by “The Mind Unleashed” on March 1... |
2060 | Hispanics in U.S. outlive whites, blacks: report. | Hispanics in the United States outlive whites by 2-1/2 years and blacks by nearly eight years, U.S. government researchers said on Wednesday, and other experts said clean living may play a role. | true | Health News | They said the life expectancy for a Hispanic baby at birth is nearly 81, compared with 78 years for non-Hispanic white babies and just under 73 for black babies. As a population, U.S. residents born in 2006 can expect to live 77.7 years, according to the new report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... |
10014 | Stroke study puts 2 procedures on equal footing | The issue of surgery vs. stents for stroke prevention is a contentious one in medicine. So when two large new trials–an American study dubbed CREST and the ICSS trial from Europe–report apparently conflicting conclusions about the benefits of each approach within 24 hours, we need skillful reporting that can help the a... | mixture | "If stenting and surgery are both ""effective ways to limit stroke risks,"" as the story headline says, shouldn’t the cost of each procedure be an important factor in deciding which one to choose? This story, regrettably, did not even nod in the direction of cost. Again, the story lays out these studies’ primary findin... | |
24322 | U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison “has voted nine separate times to raise the national debt ceiling.” | Doing things one at a time in drug development is not a luxury that GlaxoSmithKline can afford any longer, the head of pharmaceuticals at Britain’s largest drugmaker told Reuters. | true | Economy, Texas, Rick Perry, | Luke Miels, who joined GSK in September 2017 after a contract dispute with his former employer AstraZeneca, said picking the most promising projects and developing them quickly now takes precedence over spreading the risk of failure. “In the past, 10 programs were chosen, a budget for eight was allocated. Usually what ... |
26693 | “(Barack Obama) set up anti-pandemic programs in 47 vulnerable countries as a way to protect against something like the coronavirus, exactly. Do you know that Trump closed 37 of them?” | News reports in early 2018 said the CDC was preparing to scale back its anti-pandemic programs in some countries because an early source of funding was running out and the agency didn’t expect to receive new money from the Trump administration. The spending bills that lawmakers ultimately passed provided more money for... | false | National, Public Health, Pundits, PunditFact, Coronavirus, Joy Behar, | "Joy Behar, a co-host of ABC’s ""The View,"" accused President Donald Trump of dismantling anti-pandemic programs the Obama administration set up across the globe. Barack Obama ""set up anti-pandemic programs in 47 vulnerable countries as a way to protect against something like the coronavirus, exactly,"" Behar said du... |
37608 | Twenty states now revoke driver's licenses for people who have not paid back their student loans. | Do Twenty States Now Suspend Driver’s Licenses of People Who Haven’t Paid Back Student Loans? | false | Fact Checks, Viral Content | In February 2020, a screenshot (missing a date) circulated on Facebook, featuring a tweet by journalist Barbara Ehrenrich about how “20 states now” revoked driver’s licenses of people who had not been paying back their student loans:20 states now take away the drivers licenses of people who fall behind in their student... |
37479 | "In November 2009, Donald Trump tweeted: ""Obama's handling of this whole pandemic has been terrible! As President, ALL responsibility becomes yours during a crisis like this, whether or not you're entirely to blame. John McCain, and for that matter myself, would never let thousands of Americans die from a pandemic whi... | Did Donald Trump Criticize ‘Obama’s Handling of This Pandemic’ in November 2009? | false | Disinformation, Fact Checks | "In mid-April 2020, screenshots of a tweet attributed to United States President Donald Trump on November 23 2009 began circulating, in which he purportedly criticized then-President Barack Obama’s handling of the H1N1 (also called swine flu) pandemic:Obama’s handling of this whole pandemic has been terrible! As Presid... |
9604 | FDA approves first dissolving stent for US patients | FDA approval of a dissolvable stent sets the stage for wide use of a device that may—emphasis on the “may”—reduce complications in heart disease patients whose blocked arteries are treated with more typical metal stents. This story offers us that news peg but quickly and decisively tells readers that information about ... | true | dissolvable stent | This piece does an admirable job of providing cost information in the face of reluctance by Abbott Labs, the stent’s designer, to disclose such information. The reporter, instead, offers readers a sense of the typical hospital bill for “stenting procedures.” You will not be surprised to learn that such surgery is not ... |
3593 | Georgia woman fatally bit by rattlesnake while gardening. | A Georgia woman who was bitten by a rattlesnake while gardening has died. | true | Georgia, Gardening, Snakes, Health, General News, Heart attack | News outlets report 62-yaer-old Priscilla Meridith was bitten last month and suffered an allergic reaction and heart attack that left her in a medically induced coma she never woke up from. Meridith’s family says she suffered the heart attack and organ failure while she was hospitalized. She died last week. Relatives s... |
26338 | Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp “mandates restaurants reopen” | Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s order said that restaurants can reopen if they follow 39 rules, including that employees wear face masks. Many Atlanta-area restaurants have chosen not to reopen their dining rooms due to concerns about health and safety. Many restaurants have sued their insurers after being denied business in... | false | Facebook Fact-checks, Coronavirus, Facebook posts, | "Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to reopen many businesses sparked a social media dress-down from a restaurant owner in the Atlanta area. John Gianoulidis, owner of the Kafenio Greek Diner, said Kemp’s order will hurt small businesses. ""Kemp mandates restaurants reopen, whether I reopen dining rooms or not. I file ... |
9158 | Allergan Granted Marketing Authorization by the FDA for TrueTear™, the First Intranasal Neurostimulating Device Proven to Temporarily Increase Tear Production | Even though this news release about the first FDA-approved neurostimulator intended to increase tear production in patients with dry eye is carefully worded, it glosses over key points and leaves out useful information and context. It says primary endpoints were met, without explaining precisely what those endpoints we... | false | Allergan,dry eyes,intranasal neurostimulator | Even though this tear stimulator has been approved for sale, no price is mentioned in the release. After an internet search on costs we came up empty-handed. A specialized device like this is expected to cost a few to several hundred dollars. Will it be covered by insurance plans? The release doesn’t say. The release d... |
7620 | Court: Posting patient’s photo on social media not illegal. | A senior care facility nurse’s aide did not violate state law when she posted a photo of a patient with Alzheimer’s disease on social media because the photo itself was not a health record and didn’t violate the patient’s privacy, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled. | true | Patient privacy, Health, Media, General News, Social media, Minnesota, Elder care, Alzheimers disease | The ruling, issued last week, found that since the 2017 social media post provided no other identifying information, it wasn’t a health record. The post included a demeaning message. Madonna Summit in the southern Minnesota city of Byron told the aide to remove the post. The woman was later fired. Staff also received t... |
2842 | South Korea to cull more than 20,000 ducks after report of possible bird flu. | South Korea will cull more than 20,000 ducks after reporting its first possible outbreak of bird flu since 2011, the agriculture ministry said on Friday. | true | Health News | The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said a duck farm in Gochang, North Jeolla Province, about 300 km (186 miles) southwest of Seoul, was likely to have been contaminated by the H5N1 virus. Final tests are due out later on Friday. The suspected case of the virus was reported on Thursday and the provincia... |
32180 | The flu shot is dangerous and full of risks the pharmaceutical companies don't want you to know about. | We, of course, are not healthcare providers and cannot make any medical decisions for you. The purpose of this post is to correct misinformation on the Internet, and there are few topics that lend themselves to as much misinformation as vaccines. All healthcare decisions, however, should be made between you and your do... | false | Medical, anti-vaccine, flu, vaccinations | Every flu season sees an increase in viral web stories making largely unsubstantiated allegations about the health risks of the flu shot that include claims about their scary-sounding ingredients, connections to a variety of diseases (including Alzheimer’s), and their supposed lack of efficacy in general: The pharmace... |
8659 | Spain overtakes China in coronavirus infections. | Spain overtook China in the number of those infected with coronavirus on Monday, as the government tightened restrictions on a population entering its third week under one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe. | true | Health News | Business leaders criticized Spain’s actions over the weekend to ban all non-essential work until mid-April and to extend for another two weeks a nationwide shutdown that has paralyzed industries like car manufacturing and tourism. “If you stop the country, we’ll have a huge social problem within five months,” Antonio G... |
9179 | FDA approves first treatment for frequent urination at night due to overproduction of urine | This news release heralds the FDA’s first approved treatment for adults who get up at least twice nightly to urinate due to a condition known as nocturnal polyuria, or overproduction of urine at night. The news release does a good job of cautioning that this treatment isn’t for everybody who suffers from frequent night... | mixture | FDA,nocturnal polyuria,overproductive urine | The FDA evaluates drugs without considering the cost, which is why we give the release a pass for not mentioning the price tag. We hope the FDA could one day also comment on the projected cost of drugs and their cost-effectiveness. How much will this re-purposed drug cost? We found a 5-milliliter bottle of generic desm... |
21030 | At a minimum, 40 percent of those who view child pornography end up molesting children as a result. | Mike DeWine cites link between viewing child pornography and molestation cases | false | Ohio, Children, Crime, Mike DeWine, | "There is no category of crimes more revolting to most people than sexual crimes committed against children. In the wake of the Penn State scandal, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine rolled out a new ""Crimes Against Children"" initiative on Nov. 18 targeting Internet predators who trade child pornography or actually mo... |
9528 | How optimism may help you live longer | A story by CBS news plays up a new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology that could give anyone reason to feel optimistic: Optimism itself is linked to a longer life, at least based on a survey of professional nurses over the years. The survey used by the researchers was the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), which re... | mixture | optimism | Optimism is free of charge, and anyone who says differently is overly optimistic about stealing your money. Readers are told that the most optimistic nurses (top 25%) had nearly a one-third lower chance of dying, at least compared to the the most pessimistic group (lowest 25% of the survey group for optimism). We’re al... |
10204 | Erbitux Cancer Drug Is Cleared For Use On Head, Neck Tumors | In this story we learn of a potentially important new development in the treatment of head and neck cancer. The FDA recently approved the drug Erbitux for head and neck cancer after granting the application a priority review, a status only given to treatments it believes represent ‘significant improvement’ over existin... | mixture | The author does not mention the costs of the drug, which are likely to be substantial compared to the much cheaper cisplatin. Quantitative estimates of survival are given for both the drug and the radiation-only groups. The side effects of Erbitux are accurately presented. Although there is mention of two studies, the ... | |
5702 | Plutonium found in Colorado soil; 2nd test shows lower level. | Elevated levels of plutonium were found in the soil near a former nuclear weapons plant outside Denver, while a second test showed far lower levels, health officials said Tuesday. | true | Colorado, Nuclear weapons, General News, Denver, Environment, Public health | The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said it is trying to sort out the conflicting results of tests done near the Rocky Flats plant, which made plutonium triggers for nuclear warheads from 1952 until 1989. The plant underwent a $7 billion cleanup that was finished in 2005. The health department is t... |
6561 | Residents say tests find toxic chemicals after plant fire. | Tests detected toxic substances in soil, water and ash samples taken from residents’ property miles away from a Houston-area chemical plant that flooded during Hurricane Harvey, caught fire and partially exploded, according to a class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday. | true | Houston, Hurricane Harvey, Floods, Lawsuits, Business, North America, Environment, Fires, Hurricanes, U.S. News | The 15 residents named as plaintiffs link the toxins to products stored or made at Arkema Inc.’s facility in Crosby, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Houston, and say the releases violated environmental protection laws. The residents fault Arkema and its France-based parent company for failing to take more p... |
7380 | Montenegro: Dozens detained in clashes over priests’ arrests. | Montenegrin police said Thursday they have detained around 60 people following clashes at protests demanding the release of eight Serbian Orthodox Church priests jailed for leading a religious procession despite a ban on gatherings related to the new coronavirus outbreak. | true | Dusko Markovic, Religion, Podgorica, Health, Serbia, General News, Montenegro, Arrests, Europe, Virus Outbreak, Europe, Public health, International News | Twenty-six officers were injured during the unrest late Wednesday in the towns of Niksic and Pljevlja, police said. One of the injured policemen has been hospitalized, the statement said. Prime Minister Dusko Markovic in a televised address on Thursday described the protests as a “brutal attack on the state that could ... |
27948 | A fatal wave of molasses swept through Boston in January 1919. | Boston is not a city that forgets anything easily. There are those who claim that on a hot summer day in the North End, you can still smell the molasses. | true | Horrors, freakish fatalities | “As slow as molasses in January.” There was one memorable exception to that truism. And it was a deadly one. Forty minutes past noon on 15 January 1919, a giant wave of molasses raced through Boston. The unseasonably warm temperature (46 degrees) was the final stress needed to cause a gigantic, filled-to-capacity tank ... |
10073 | 'Holy grail of cancer research': doctors positive about early detection blood test | This story is about one of several studies on so-called “liquid biopsies” that were presented at the 2018 annual conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Liquid biopsies are blood tests for possible markers of cancer in the blood. It’s an emerging technology (we have written about extensively) th... | false | The Guardian | Costs are not mentioned. As we’ve reported in the past, one company has marketed their similar test with a $1,000 price point. This story errs on the side of promoting potential benefits without providing critical context. It includes two reckless quotes (one by a lead author, another by an independent source) which su... |
8284 | Despite horror stories, California cruise passengers won't let coronavirus spoil their fun. | With a white captain’s hat perched on his head, Calvin Ballard seemed relaxed as he waited to depart on his first-ever cruise to Mexico, unfazed by the possibility of being trapped on a ship under siege by an outbreak of coronavirus. | true | Health News | Like many fellow vacationers streaming onto an ocean liner docked near Los Angeles, Ballard said he was well aware that passengers aboard other cruises had ended up stranded for weeks, far from home, and he vowed to take special care to stay healthy. Nonetheless, he was determined to have a good time. “What we’re plann... |
7316 | The shunned: People from virus-hit city tracked, quarantined. | Meron Mei, a sophomore at Wuhan University in the Chinese city at the heart of a viral outbreak, went back to his home village and started to cough. | true | Beijing, AP Top News, International News, General News, Wuhan, Health, Coronavirus, Travel, Asia Pacific, Virus Outbreak, Weekend Reads | So he went to the hospital and got checked. Doctors determined it was a common cold, not the new coronavirus, he says, and he returned home. Then a week ago, he says, five officers showed up at his house in Xishui County, a two hour drive from Wuhan. They wore masks and wielded blue, gun-shaped thermometers. Now Mei ... |
11137 | Women’s weight-loss surgery may help kids | "This story covers the potential role that maternal weight loss surgery can play in breaking a family’s cycle of obesity. It would be difficult for news consumers to independently scrutinize the claims in the story because the study has only been published online for subscribers and for media who are granted access. Th... | mixture | "This story did not provide information on the cost of weight loss surgery or indicate whether it is covered by health insurance. This story accurately summarizes the benefits for children. Benefits include improved cardiovascular markers such as insulin sensitivity and lower cholesterol and that children were 3 times ... | |
8993 | Mangoes helped improve cardiovascular and gut health in women | The news release focuses on a small, short-term study of healthy women that found consuming two cups of mango a day was associated with reduced systolic blood pressure. However, it is not clear how much the systolic blood pressure was reduced or how the researchers accounted for normal, daily variations in blood pressu... | false | cardiovascular disease,mango,National Mango Board | Cost is not addressed. That said, if one has access to mangoes, their cost is likely comparable to many other fruits in some parts of the country and higher in others. This raises the question of cost and access to fresh fruits and vegetables — which is a significant problem in many parts of the U.S. — but which is bey... |
27606 | Wheaties cereal sticks to magnets because it has metal flakes. | Wheaties and other breakfast foods are fortified with iron, which reacts to magnets. | true | Food, alternative health, food, natural news | In January 2014, alternative health and conspiracy web site NaturalNews.com posted a video showing Wheaties cereal flakes sticking to a magnet. The site claimed that this was irrefutable proof that the cereal is “full of metal fragments.” The video, created by “The Health Ranger” Mike Adams, was created to give the imp... |
6629 | Oregon imposes temporary ban on some vaping products. | Oregon’s governor ordered a temporary ban Friday on the sale of flavored vaping products amid an outbreak that has sickened more than 1,000 people nationwide -- and killed two in Oregon. | true | Kate Brown, Health, General News, Marijuana, Oregon, U.S. News | Several other states, including Washington, New York, Michigan and Rhode Island, have also imposed temporary bans. The illnesses first appeared in March, with symptoms including shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pain. Most who got sick said they vaped products containing THC, the marijuana ingredient that causes a... |
13369 | "You would receive a citation for taking a dildo to class"" at the University of Texas." | Cocks Not Glocks said students would get citations for taking dildos to class. Texas obscenity law allows citations to be issued to dildo toters provided the dildo is displayed and the person doing so is reckless about who could be offended and the display lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value... | mixture | Education, Regulation, Texas, Guns, Cocks Not Glocks, | "A student group at the University of Texas at Austin warned of legal repercussions for taking sex toys to class. The group, Cocks Not Glocks, was founded to highlight what protesters depicted as the absurdity of Texas’ campus carry law, Senate Bill 11, which as of Aug. 1, 2016 newly allowed students at public colleges... |
36438 | "On March 18 2019, ""Muslims marched into a college in Nigeria, separated out the Christian students and killed them. 70 dead." | Were 70 Christians Massacred by Muslims in March 2019? | unproven | Disinformation, Fact Checks | On March 19 2019, a Facebook user shared the status update below (archived here), claiming that 70 Nigerian Christians had been massacred by Muslims one day previously:Yesterday, muslims marched into a college in Nigeria, separated out the Christian students and killed them. 70 dead.Ten days later, the status had been ... |
8417 | Portugal extends coronavirus lockdown, promises masks and hand gel. | Portugal extended its national coronavirus lockdown for a further 15 days on Thursday and promised to make protective gear widely available and to gradually reopen businesses if the spread of the disease continues to slow. | true | Health News | As the country flattened its curve of new cases - now at 18,841 with 629 deaths, a fraction of those in neighbouring Spain - the new presidential decree approved by parliament allowed for a gradual reopening of some services and companies. It did not specify which ones or when, saying this would depend on data continui... |
17830 | On responding to chemical weapon use in Syria | Ryan has said all along he wanted more aggressive help for moderate groups fighting Assad. But here we’re testing whether his position has changed regarding a U.S. military response to Syrian use of chemical weapons. We know that after Obama drew the red line suggesting some sort of military intervention, Ryan endorsed... | mixture | Foreign Policy, Military, Wisconsin, Paul Ryan, | "In the 2012 campaign, Paul Ryan repeatedly criticized President Barack Obama’s foreign policy but agreed with Obama that use of chemical weapons by the regime in Syria was a ""red line"" that would prompt U.S. action. A year later, after Obama asserted the line had been crossed, it was Ryan who came in for criticism w... |
8330 | U.S. to seize exports of masks and gloves amid coronavirus crisis. | The United States will seize exports of key protective medical gear until it determines whether the equipment should be kept in the country to combat the spread of the new coronavirus, two federal agencies announced on Wednesday. | true | Health News | U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will hold exports of respirators, surgical masks and surgical gloves, according to a joint announcement made with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA will then determine if the equipment should be returned for use in the United States, purchased by the U.S. government ... |
34244 | The sentences handed down in two May 2018 criminal cases were widely disparate due to racial differences in the defendants. | But the notion that these two cases demonstrate disparities in sentencing due to race (or any other factor) is extremely problematic because they were so disparate and involved so many different variables other than race. One case took place in Georgia, the other in California. One case involved a 15-year-old high scho... | unproven | Politics, the other 98% | Racial discrepancies in criminal sentencing are a long-standing concern in the United States and a common feature of online debate and social media memes, as we have examined on several occasions. In the summer of 2018 another set of cases formed the basis of a viral post published by the left-leaning Facebook page “Th... |
3844 | Jury deliberating in Utah case involving major opioid ring. | A jury began deliberating Thursday in the case of a Utah man accused of running a multimillion-dollar opioid ring that shipped potentially poisonous, fake prescription drugs across the country, causing at least one fatal overdose. | true | Opioids, General News, Utah, Prescription drugs, Salt Lake City, U.S. News | Prosecutors said during closing arguments that Aaron Shamo’s operation helped fuel the nation’s opioid epidemic by making hundreds of thousands of pills available to addicts and other users. They say it might have been responsible for dozens of other fatal overdoses. “Shamo was a master manipulator. He knew what button... |
11221 | Cannabidiol Reduces Symptoms of Psychosis | This US News & World Report story reports on a small study measuring brain activity, but makes it sound like a major step forward. The specifics of the study are glossed over, no connection is made between brain activity and clinical symptoms or outcomes, and there’s no mention of cost or potential harms. In addition, ... | false | U.S. News & World Report | The article did not mention costs of cannabidiol. Internet sources of cannabidiol can cost 4 to 20 cents per milligram, though the dosage and quality of these products is not regulated. The study used a 600 mg dose, so the cost would be $24-$120 for a single dose. The FDA-approved version of the drug (approved for chil... |
33017 | "An association of pediatricians ""admitted"" that HPV vaccine Gardasil causes ovarian ""failure"" or cancer." | The College is posting this statement so that individuals considering the use of human papillomavirus vaccines could be made aware of these concerns pending further action by the regulatory agencies and manufacturers. While there is no strong evidence of a causal relationship between HPV4 and ovarian dysfunction, this ... | false | Medical, american college of pediatricians, gardasil, warnings | On 28 January 2016, the web site Truth Kings published an article under the headline “Pediatricians Association Admits HPV Vaccine Causes Ovarian Failure.” As with many similar “shocking medical truth” items, the article’s headline wasn’t supported by the text of the article itself, which linked to entirely unrelated m... |
2214 | Canada police probing 'possible policy breaches' at National Microbiology Lab. | Canada’s national police force said on Monday it is investigating a referral by the country’s Public Health Agency over “possible policy breaches” at its National Microbiology Lab, whose work includes research on the most dangerous human and animal pathogens, such as Ebola. | true | Health News | “We can confirm that we have received a referral from the Public Health Agency of Canada,” Julie Courchaine, spokeswoman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), said in a statement. “We will not speculate on the potential outcome of the investigation. In order to maintain the integrity of the investigative proces... |
2437 | Scientists win Nobel for mapping body's 'cell traffic' system. | Three scientists won the Nobel medicine prize on Monday for plotting how cells transfer vital materials such as hormones and brain chemicals to other cells, giving insight into diseases such as Alzheimer’s, autism and diabetes. | true | Health News | Americans James Rothman, 62, Randy Schekman, 64, and German-born Thomas Suedhof, 57, separately mapped out one of the body’s critical networks in which tiny bubbles known as vesicles enable cells to secrete chemicals such as insulin into the surrounding environment. This cellular machinery, which has evolved over a bil... |
4630 | US heads to court to build Trump border wall in Texas. | Three years into Donald Trump’s presidency, the U.S. government is ramping up its efforts to seize private land in Texas to build a border wall. | true | U.S. News, AP Top News, Lawsuits, Politics, Environment, Courts, Eminent domain, General News, Texas, Donald Trump | Trump’s signature campaign promise has consistently faced political, legal, and environmental obstacles in Texas, which has the largest section of the U.S.-Mexico border, most of it without fencing. And much of the land along the Rio Grande, the river that forms the border in Texas, is privately held and environmentall... |
37117 | Accusations that President Bush lied to the American people about whether there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq are counterbalanced by quotes from prominent Democrats about Saddam Hussein and weapons in Iraq. Most of these statements were during the debate over whether to ... | Bush lied about weapons in Iraq? What about the Democrats | true | Government, Politics, Terrorism, War | There are several quotes. Most of them come during a time in the Clinton administration when decisions were being made about action against Saddam Hussein and amid concerns about weapons of mass destruction. We’ll take them one at a time. “One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the... |
28551 | The Red Cross blocked the distribution of 400 hamburgers to Harvey evacuees in Texas. | What's true: Some sort of disagreement occurred between Red Cross volunteers and local samaritans over serving hamburgers to victims of Hurricane Harvey. What's undetermined: When the incident occurred and why; the nature of the dispute; whether the reasoning was fully explained to the good samaritans trying to distrib... | mixture | Viral Phenomena, beaumont, hamburgers, lindsey scott | On 4 September 2017, we received a number of e-mails asking whether it was true the Red Cross prevented a woman named Lindsey Scott from distributing 400 hamburgers to evacuees of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. The emails referred to a series of articles that made the claim, with their sole source being a 2 September 2017 ... |
9078 | Promising New Leprosy Vaccine Moves Into Human Trials | The news release focuses on a recently launched phase 1 clinical trial, designed to test whether a potential leprosy vaccine called LepVax is safe enough to move forward into more advanced clinical trials. The release does not address cost, prematurely refers to the vaccine as “a breakthrough,” and does little to discu... | mixture | Infectious Disease Research Institute,Leprosy Vaccine | Costs aren’t mentioned. We know that it is far too soon to put a specific price tag on the treatment, but the release could have discussed the feasibility of scaling up manufacturing, whether the process is costly or time-consuming, etc. How much could the vaccine, which the release tells us is the first “developed spe... |
20448 | "Rod Monroe Says ""the No. 2 cause of death in the U.S. (for) women under 50 is being killed by their spouse or domestic partner." | Is intimate partner violence the second leading cause of death for women under 50? | false | Oregon, Families, Crime, Women, Rod Monroe, | "During the 2012 legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill that requires the state's school districts to put policies in place combating teen dating violence. The legislation passed with a pretty wide margin. During the debate, statistics were thrown out left and right in support of the new policy. One in particular... |
939 | Mental health issues in Hong Kong surging amid tumultuous protests, experts say. | Stress and trauma over the political turmoil surrounding Hong Kong’s extradition bill has created an unprecedented mental health problem that the city is not equipped to deal with, medical professionals say. | true | Health News | Discussion of mental health carries a huge stigma in the Chinese-ruled territory, and younger people are particularly vulnerable because of the stresses of everyday life: exorbitant living costs, cramped housing, academic pressure and a gloomy view of the future, medical professionals say. On Tuesday, embattled Hong Ko... |
33716 | A lawsuit brought by an injured fan revealed that an umpire blew an important call in a 1908 baseball game. | As satisfying as this legend may once have been to fans of that long-ago Pittsburgh club, the plainer truth is that the Pirates lost the 1908 pennant because the Chicago Cubs were the better team on the field that day. | false | Sports, baseball | Few tangible elements remain of the 1908 baseball season: The players who took part in it, the reporters who covered it, and the fans who followed it have all passed away; the ballparks that hosted its contests have long since been torn down; and that pre-radio, pre-television era produced no recordings or broadcasts t... |
9860 | Fish Oil Linked to Lower Breast Cancer Risk | The story missed an opportunity to explain the inherent limitations in drawing conclusions from such an observational study. And its use of relative risk reduction figures is bothersome. Why not just give the absolute numbers from each group in the study? That would be far more meaningful and helpful. There could be bo... | true | "Not applicable. Not discussed, but it should be general knowledge that they’re relatively inexpensive. Only relative risk reduction figures were used – ""32% reduced risk."" But readers should be told ""32% of what?"" What were the actual absolute numbers in the group that took the supplements versus the numbers in th... | |
4689 | Colorado state Sen. Court to resign, cites health issues. | Colorado Democratic state Sen. Lois Court announced Monday she is resigning effective Jan. 16 due to health issues. | true | Health, Fiscal policy, Colorado, Denver | A statement released by majority Senate Democrats said Court has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, GBS symptoms include muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. In the most serious cases, muscle weakness can affect ... |
15446 | We have at least 200,000 to 300,000 hate crimes in a given year. | "Brooks said, ""We have at least 200,000 to 300,000 hate crimes in a given year."" Looking at the National Crime Victimization Survey does confirm his claim, with a 2012 report finding nearly 300,000 estimated victims of hate crime. And while the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, an alternative method of data coll... | true | National, Criminal Justice, Crime, Race and Ethnicity, Cornell William Brooks, | "After the Charleston church shooting, residents of the South Carolina city came together to rally behind the families of the nine victims. One notable moment came during suspect Dylann Roof’s arraignment, when a relative of one of the dead told him, ""You hurt me. You hurt a lot of people. But God forgives you. I forg... |
35095 | A map from Johns Hopkins University that shows the spread of COVID-19 contains malware. | What's true: Generally speaking, malicious actors have tried to spread malware via various online maps by disguising it as information from credible sources about the global spread of COVID-19. What's false: However, the real-time map from Johns Hopkins University showing the spread of COVID-19 is itself safe and does ... | mixture | Technology, COVID-19 | In March 2020, as the outbreak of the novel coronavirus grew into a global pandemic, worried citizens of the world took to the internet in search of information about the disease caused by the virus, COVID-19. They turned to organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health... |
9792 | Experimental Drug Shows Promise Against Type 2 Diabetes | This story explains that the results are preliminary and gives readers the right basic information about the study, but the study’s findings and its limitations warranted more explanation. As the story notes, we have been down this road before with diabetes drugs. Avandia was promoted as a breakthrough for people with ... | true | Diabetes,HealthDay | It’s too early to discuss costs for this specific drug, although some mention of the costs of competing drugs would have been helpful. The story only gives percentage differences when talking about the hypoglycemia risk. The actual benefit in lowering blood sugar levels is vague. It says, “After 12 weeks, all the patie... |
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