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36630 | Indonesian teenagers are smoking pads and tampons for a buzz. | Are Young People Boiling Menstrual Pads to Get High? | unproven | Fact Checks, Viral Content | A strange story about Indonesian youths finding a interesting “new” way to get high made the rounds in November 2018: taking sanitary pads, boiling them into a soup, and then drinking the ensuring slurry after it cooled. The pads, the story helpfully assured us, could be either new or used, and that diapers could also ... |
11087 | Rotavirus Vaccine Urged for Babies: | In this story we learn that there is a new rotavirus vaccine for babies, replacing an earlier vaccine that had been pulled from the market due to safety concerns. This vaccine is FDA approved and now available. Although there is mention of a large study conducted by Merck, there is no description of the study design, s... | false | The author states that the vaccine will cost $187.50 for the three-dose series, making it one of the most expensive vaccines ever marketed. Although the author does say that this cost will put a strain on state-sponsored vaccination programs, there is no attempt to try to quantify the magnitude of this strain or commen... | |
36113 | Image depicts former President Jimmy Carter, 95, building a charity homes while still visibly recovering from a fall with a black eye. | ’95-Year-Old Former President Jimmy Carter Building a House With a Black Eye’ Meme | true | Fact Checks, Viral Content | On October 8 2019, a Reddit user shared the following animated image to r/gifs, purportedly showing former United States president Jimmy Carter building homes for Habitat for Humanity while still visibly recovering from a fall-related injury (as evidenced by a black eye):95-year-old former President Jimmy Carter helps ... |
10694 | Drug may delay hypertension in high-risk patients | The Boston Globe offers interesting short summaries of health/medical/science topics. This one presents the results of a recent study of a drug called candesartan in people who have pre-hypertension to prevent hypertension. It was really a study of this drug in addition to the usual lifestyle recommendations (DASH diet... | mixture | The story didn’t provide any cost estimate for candesartan. It did mention that there was a need to conduct analysis examining the risk to benefit ratio including costs. The story stated that “They found that during the study, patients who received candesartan were 66 percent less likely to develop true hypertension th... | |
20590 | "Alan Bates Says ""80 percent of the health care dollars are spent by 20 percent of the population." | Does 20% of the population really use 80% of health care dollars? | true | Oregon, Health Care, Public Health, Alan Bates, | "Health care debates are always fertile ground for fact-checkable claims. A recent debate on the Oregon Senate floor over the state’s reform plans was no different. During the debate, Sen. Alan Bates was trying to argue the point that the state’s health care system needs to focus on the folks who are highest cost and b... |
1568 | Study finds cosmic rays increased heart risks among Apollo astronauts. | Apollo astronauts who ventured to the moon are at five times greater risk of dying from heart disease than shuttle astronauts, U.S. researchers said on Thursday, citing the dangers of cosmic radiation beyond the Earth’s magnetic field. | true | Science News | The study by researchers at Florida State University and NASA found that three Apollo astronauts, including Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, or 43 percent of those studied, died from cardiovascular disease, a finding with implications for future human travel beyond Earth. The research, published in... |
13954 | "The House Zika bill ""limits access to birth control services needed to help curb the spread of the virus"" in Puerto Rico." | Nelson, along with many other Democrats, said the Zika funding bill would limit access to family planning and contraceptives that would help stop the spread of the Zika virus. The legislation would have blocked the flow of money to one organization, Profamilias, the Planned Parenthood chapter in Puerto Rico. However, t... | mixture | Abortion, Public Health, Florida, Bill Nelson, | "Emergency money to block the spread of the Zika virus won’t be coming any time real soon. A $1.1 billion funding measure failed to win enough support for an up or down vote in the Senate. The major stumbling point wasn’t the money (though Democrats wanted additional funding). Rather, it was the strings that were attac... |
26550 | “There was no effort” to get American experts into China after it announced the coronavirus, and “we had one person in-country (and Trump) pulled him out of the country.” | Top Health and Human Services officials offered to send American experts to China within a week after China revealed a new virus was on the loose. China resisted American and World Health Organization teams, but eventually allowed a WHO team —that included some Americans — to enter the country. CDC shrank its China off... | false | National, China, Coronavirus, Joe Biden, | "Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has targeted what he sees as a couple of key failures by President Donald Trump that made the coronavirus crisis worse. In a CNN virtual town hall, Biden talked about the early days as the virus spread from China. ""I said, among others, that, you know, you should get into C... |
4052 | Health officials warn of new species of tick found in state. | Public health and agriculture officials are warning New York residents, farms and visitors to take precautions outdoors as a new tick species has been found in the state. | true | Health, New York, Ticks, Insects, Public health | The Departments of Health and Agriculture and Markets issued a warning Tuesday for an insect commonly known as the “longhorned tick,” which was recently discovered in multiple locations in Westchester County. Health experts worked with researchers at Fordham University in the Bronx and at New York Medical College to id... |
11445 | Breakthrough for macular degeneration | This story is about FDA approval of an injectable treatment for wet macular degeneration which is reported to result in improved vision. It is not clear from the story how exactly this treatment differs from other FDA approved treatments for this disease. The article discussed the use of a similar drug (Avastin) which ... | mixture | The cost – $2000 a dose – was mentioned. The story said that “For those on Medicare without drug coverage, that is an out-of-pocket expense and even with drug plans, there might be a huge co-pay.” But the story did not indicate whether Part D Medicare or other health insurance would pay for this medication. Nonetheless... | |
5462 | Seattle infectious-disease outbreaks cause concern. | Public health officials are becoming increasingly concerned about a variety of outbreaks of serious infectious diseases among people who are homeless in Seattle and throughout King County. | true | Health, Infectious diseases, Disease outbreaks, Seattle, Public health | The Seattle Times reports Seattle-King County Public Health is investigating outbreaks of Group A Streptococcus, shigella, and a rare group of infections transmitted by body lice among people who are homeless. Health officials also are monitoring a potential outbreak of hepatitis A, a potentially fatal disease that spr... |
35740 | In August 2020, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had a hair appointment at a salon in San Francisco — at a time when hair salons were forbidden to operate in the city due to COVID-19. | Even though the restrictions on hair salons were relaxed on Sep. 1, 2020, one day after Pelosi’s appointment at eSalon, it is not the case that the visit would have been allowed if she had simply waited 24 hours. | true | Politics, COVID-19 | In September 2020, several readers asked Snopes to look into the facts surrounding high-profile news reports that claimed U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had visited a hair salon in San Francisco, California, despite a city ordinance that required non-essential businesses to remain closed as part of broader efforts to ... |
4239 | Study shows higher levels of carcinogen near Waukegan plant. | People living near a suburban Chicago medical equipment sterilization facility face higher cancer risks from toxic air pollution, a new study found. | true | Cancer, Chicago, General News, Waukegan, Air pollution, Illinois, Environment, Pollution | The University of Illinois study found that participants who lived near the Medline Industries plant in Waukegan had higher levels of the cancer-causing chemical ethylene oxide in their blood than those who lived farther away, The Chicago Tribune reported. “Facilities emitting dangerous chemicals like ethylene oxide sh... |
5809 | Dutch Olympic champion completes 195-kilometer charity swim. | On one of the hottest days of the Dutch summer, Olympic long-distance swimming champion Maarten van der Weijden completed a marathon swim Monday along the route of a famous Dutch speedskating race, to raise money for cancer research. | true | Skating, Winter Olympics, Netherlands, Health, Europe, General News, Marathons, Olympic Games, Europe, Swimming | Van der Weijden finished the 195-kilometer (121-mile) swim through canals in the northern province of Friesland in just over three days, swimming slowly into the city of Leeuwarden Monday evening followed by a flotilla of boats and stand-up paddlers. As he reached the finishing point, he stopped, punched the air then s... |
19365 | The truth is, Planned Parenthood does not provide mammograms. Planned Parenthood refers women to mammography providers, serving as the middlewoman, if you will. | Karen Handel seeks to set the record straight on Komen, Planned Parenthood in new book | true | Georgia, Health Care, Karen Handel, | "Former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel came out firing on all cylinders in her book, ""Planned Bullyhood."" Handel, who most recently served as the former vice president of public policy at Susan G. Komen for the Cure, included criticisms of Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, state politics and decisions at Komen. Incl... |
35542 | A 7-year-old named Emily Jones was decapitated in England by a Somali migrant. | What's true: Emily Jones, 7, was killed by a stranger at a park in England in March 2020. A 30-year-old woman was arrested at the scene and, as of this writing, is being held under the Mental Health Act. What's false: Jones was not beheaded. What's undetermined: Police described the person arrested as a 30-year-old wom... | false | Crime | On March 22, 2020, a young girl named Emily Jones was killed by a stranger while playing in a park in England. BBC News reported at the time: Bolton stabbing: Girl, seven, killed by stranger in park A seven-year-old girl has died after being stabbed by a stranger in a park. The girl suffered serious injuries in the att... |
34697 | NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre was disqualified from the draft due to a psychological condition. | A years-old Internet rumor suggests the gun rights figurehead may not be mentally sound enough to pass a background check. | unproven | Politics Guns, national rifle association, selective service, wayne lapierre | It was originally organized in 1871 to “promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis” in the United States, and it seems to have succeeded; generations later, the National Rifle Association has become the United States’ most high-profile gun rights lobbying group. The organization’s executive vice preside... |
9969 | Drinking Green Tea May Protect Eyes | The leap from rats drinking green tea to possible benefits in humans is never mentioned. Enough said. This is the kind of story that contributes to journalism losing impact and credibility. And HealthDay subscribers like HealthFinder.gov and Drugs.com pick up and republish a story like this – spreading it even further.... | false | "Not applicable. The cost of green tea is not in question. None. If you’re going to play the rat research game, you should at least tell us the scope of the ""benefit"" seen in rats. How many tested? How many successes? It feels almost ridiculous to have to comment on whether the story discussed harms seen in the rats... | |
1814 | Paracetamol no better than placebo for low back pain, study finds. | Paracetamol, a painkiller universally recommended to treat people with acute low back pain, does not speed recovery or reduce pain from the condition, according to the results of a large trial published on Thursday. | true | Science News | A study published in The Lancet medical journal found that the popular pain medicine was no better than placebo, or dummy, pills for hastening recovery from acute bouts of low back pain or easing pain levels, function, sleep or quality of life. Researchers said the findings challenge the universal endorsement of parace... |
14335 | "Rick Scott's Starbucks heckler Says Rick Scott ""stripped women of access to public health care." | "The Starbucks activist said Scott ""stripped women of access to public health care."" Scott signed a law this year that cuts off state funding for any clinic that provides abortions, including Planned Parenthood. We heard estimates that it will cut anywhere from $114,000 to $500,000 for Planned Parenthood, which provi... | mixture | Abortion, Florida, Rick Scott's Starbucks heckler, | "When Gov. Rick Scott walked into a Starbucks in downtown Gainesville, he got an earful from a woman who attacked his positions on health care. A video of the woman yelling at Scott for about a minute drew more than 259,000 hits on YouTube in about 24 hours and was shown on national television the next day. ""You cut M... |
5174 | Senate confirms acting EPA chief for permanent role. | The Senate on Thursday confirmed former coal industry lobbyist Andrew Wheeler to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, despite concerns by Democrats and one Republican about regulatory rollbacks he’s made in eight months as the agency’s acting chief. | true | John Barrasso, Politics, Scott Pruitt, North America, Environment, Donald Trump | Senators voted 52-47 to confirm Wheeler, who was nominated by President Donald Trump after former administrator Scott Pruitt resigned last year amid a series of ethics allegations. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., chairman of the Senate environment committee, called Wheeler “uniquely qualified” to lead EPA and said that und... |
5083 | Lawsuits filed against operator of medical equipment cleaner. | Nearly three dozen people have sued the operator of a suburban Chicago medical equipment cleaning plant they claim emits fumes that have adversely affected their health, lawyers for the plaintiffs announced Tuesday. | true | Cancer, Chicago, Health, Lawsuits, Suburbs, Medical equipment, General News | The 32 lawsuits filed against Sterigenics LLC this week in Cook County seek damages from the company, which operates a plant in Willowbrook. Jeanne Hochhalter is one of those suing Oak Brook-based Sterigenics. She said Tuesday that the cancer she developed is directly related to the long-term release from the plant of ... |
11216 | Cautionary note about prostates | "First, kudos to the Baltimore Sun for affording this piece almost 1,000 words at a time when many health news stories are limited to 300 words. This is a thoughtful story reporting on the results of a recent study which found that the use of hormone therapy in the treatment of localized prostate cancer in older men wa... | true | "Although the story mentioned that this treatment was a profit center for some clinicians, it did not provide information about the costs to consumers. The story was crystal clear about the lack of benefit from the use of hormone therapy to treat older men with localized prostate cancer in terms of overall survival or ... | |
9640 | ‘Second Skin’ May Reduce Wrinkles, Eyebags, Scientists Say | Melanie Gonick/MIT This New York Times’ story provides a detailed explanation of research developing an artificial “second skin” that may have both cosmetic and medical uses. The story discusses several experiments leading to the product, its availability and the connections between the academic researchers who discove... | mixture | cosmetics,dermatology,marketing,second skin,xpl | The story doesn’t discuss costs of the would-be product, even though the story emphasizes that the technology is in private product development and data is being gathered for future FDA approval consideration. Though we’re told there’s a new published paper about several pilot studies, the story does not include any ha... |
35544 | By ignoring a ban on performing COVID-19 autopsies, researchers in Italy discovered that the disease is caused by a bacteria — not a virus — and can simply be treated with aspirin. | An inaccurate copypasta description of this study from mid-May interpreted those results as evidence that Covid-19 stemmed from “a serious pathophysiological diagnosis error,” that death from the disease stems from thrombosis (or blood clotting), and that the COVID-19 “ought to be fought with antibiotics, antivirals, a... | false | Medical | A recurring bit of pandemic misinformation alleges that COVID-19 is not caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) or, for that matter, any virus at all. Despite voluminous evidence that COVID-19 is a viral infection, this claim — or aspects of it — persist online. In general, the same flawed pseudoscientific argument... |
10316 | Brain Scans Predict Dyslexia Improvements | Potential harms are not mentioned, while potential benefits are inflated. This story falls far short of the CNN report we also reviewed. Good reading skills are fundamental to educational, social and financial success. Dyslexia is a type of reading disability characterized by difficulties in word recognition, spelling ... | false | Imaging studies,WebMD | Sophisticated imaging of the brain and its function is an expensive diagnostic tool. Applying these sophisticated tests to all children would be a huge expense. While other stories at least mentioned cost (for example the CNN report quoted the author of the study as saying, “…as the usage of fMRI becomes more useful an... |
10818 | Tequila Plant May Help Fight Bone Loss | "HealthDay published – and at least one major news organization (BusinessWeek) republished – this overly enthusiastic story about what substances in tequila plants, garlic and onions may do to ""fight bone loss"" and a host of other problems. Read the review for full details. The credibility of journalism is called int... | false | "Not applicable. Cost not discussed but there is no product yet to cost estimate. First, this was in mice – a fact that was minimized in the story. But we don’t know how many mice were tested. Was it two? Was it 200? And we’re only given a relative benefit statistic – ""50 percent increase in levels of a protein associ... | |
10363 | Birth defect-antidepressant link found | "Previous studies show that a small number of infants born to women who took SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) anti-depressants throughout pregnancy may experience heart and lung problems, and these infants may go through a withdrawal. The large case-controlled studies discussed in this story provide new ... | true | "The story does not list the cost of SSRIs or other anti-depressant medications, but this is not vital in this story. A women may choose to take less or no anti-depressant medication during pregnancy based on the recent data. The story notes the prevalence of depression in pregnant women. The story also notes the decis... | |
10526 | More men at risk for prostate cancer as a result of less regular screening | This news release reports on an attempt to measure the impact of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on PSA testing. A main point of emphasis in the release is the fact that diagnoses of intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer were reduced after the draft guideline was changed due to the ... | mixture | Cancer,Journal news release,Prostate cancer | There is no mention about the costs of PSA tests or of the resulting low-risk cancers that may be unnecessarily irradiated, surgically extracted, or robotically removed. Similarly, there’s no mention of the costs of treating advanced cancer — both for health care (advanced cancer treatments can be extremely expensive–e... |
16186 | Amendment 2 on medical marijuana won a higher percentage of the vote than the last six Florida governors, including Jeb Bush’s 2002 landslide. | Pollara said Amendment 2 won a higher percentage of the vote than the last six Florida governors, including Bush’s 2002 landslide. He’s right about the 2002 contest, and when you look back at the last six elections (eight, really) as Pollara intended, that’s true, too. But there’s a glaring outlier when you look at the... | true | Florida Amendments, Florida, United for Care, | "Floridians turned down a state constitutional amendment for medical marijuana, but it’s clear a majority of voters were all for the idea. Amendment 2, which would have changed the state’s Constitution to allow the sale of cannabis for ""certain medical conditions"" such as cancer and Parkinson’s disease, rang up 57.6 ... |
3553 | Pope on World Food Day laments paradox of hunger, obesity. | Pope Francis is calling for lifestyle and dietary changes to address the paradox of a world in which people suffer from malnutrition in some areas and obesity in others. | true | Nutrition, Religion, International News, General News, Lifestyle, Health, Business, Pope Francis, Obesity, Europe, Vatican City | In a message Wednesday for the U.N.’s World Food Day, Francis lamented the “distorted relationship between food and nutrition” that he blamed on the world economy’s profit-at-all-cost mentality. Francis noted that while obesity used to be a problem of the developed world, it is increasingly wreaking havoc in poorer cou... |
2679 | Gene pattern predicts who will live the longest. | Researchers have found a pattern of genes that predicts with more accuracy than ever before who might live to be 100 or older — even if they have other genes linked with disease. | true | Science News | An Afghan watchman smiles at the camera as he sits outside a shop at a market in Kabul May 26, 2010. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood Their findings, published in Friday’s issue of the journal Science, offer the tantalizing possibility of predicting who might hope for a longer life. They also cast doubt on the accuracy of tests be... |
3923 | Sorry, wrong number: Statistical benchmark comes under fire. | Earlier this fall Dr. Scott Solomon presented the results of a huge heart drug study to an audience of fellow cardiologists in Paris. | true | Medication, General News, AP Top News, Science, U.S. News, Weekend Reads | The results Solomon was describing looked promising: Patients who took the medication had a lower rate of hospitalization and death than patients on a different drug. Then he showed his audience another number. “There were some gasps, or ‘Ooohs,’” Solomon, of Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, recalled recently. “... |
26200 | “Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Donald Trump not wearing a face mask in public.” | Health experts say Americans should wear a face mask to prevent the spread of coronavirus, but President Trump has been reluctant to do so in public. Democrat Darren Jackson, the minority leader in the North Carolina House of Representatives, said two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump's decision. There's one poll... | true | Public Health, North Carolina, Coronavirus, Darren Jackson, | "When North Carolina legislators returned to the Capitol, the House minority leader showed up wearing a surgical mask bearing the state flag. Health experts recommend that Americans wear face masks while in public to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, which can be transmitted through aerosol droplets. So Darr... |
27005 | "The city of Austin has ""removed, seemingly, any legal consequences to the actions where the homeless lie, sleep, where they defecate." | "Abbott said that Austin officials ""have removed, seemingly, any legal consequences to the actions where the homeless lie, sleep, where they defecate."" Austin has taken steps to allow for public camping in more areas than were previously permissible, but there are still limitations to where people who are homeless ar... | false | Homeless, Texas, Greg Abbott, | "In early January, a man stabbed one person to death and injured others at an Austin shopping center. His attack ended at a burrito shop, where he jumped from the roof and later died from his injuries. Police later identified the attacker as a man experiencing homelessness, prompting Gov. Greg Abbott to highlight the i... |
29255 | Suave brand shampoos and conditioners contains thioglycolic acid and cause hair loss. | What's true: A Suave brand hair treatment product that was discontinued in 2012 contained thioglycolic acid. What's false: Suave brand hair treatment products do not contain thioglycolic acid or formaldehyde. | false | Business, shampoo, suave, viral facebook posts | In February 2018, two warnings concerning Suave brand hair care products made the rounds on social media. The first one claimed that a Suave shampoo formulation contains thioglycolic acid, which is “extremely corrosive” and caused her hair to fall out in clumps: The poster of that message allowed that the radiation pi... |
1659 | China capital to roll out tough anti-smoking laws. | Beijing will ban smoking in restaurants, offices and on public transport from Monday, part of unprecedented new curbs welcomed by anti-tobacco advocates, though how they will be enforced remains to be seen. | true | Health News | Health activists have pushed for years for stronger restrictions on smoking in China, the world’s largest tobacco consumer, which is considering further anti-smoking curbs nationwide. Under the rules, anyone in China’s capital who violates the bans, which include smoking near schools and hospitals, must pay 200 yuan ($... |
2476 | Paleontologists discover dinosaur tail in northern Mexico. | A team of paleontologists have discovered the fossilized remains of a 72 million-year-old dinosaur tail in a desert in northern Mexico, the country’s National Institute for Anthropology and History (INAH) said on Monday. | true | Science News | Apart from being unusually well preserved, the 5 meter (16 foot) tail was the first ever found in Mexico, said Francisco Aguilar, INAH’s director in the border state of Coahuila. The team, made up of paleontologists and students from INAH and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), identified the fossil as... |
744 | After Dorian, disease is next threat on shattered Bahamian island. | Piles of debris, decaying human and animal corpses and fetid water on storm-hammered Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas are posing a new risk for those who survived Hurricane Dorian’s wrath: Disease. | true | Environment | As the insect population temporarily cleared when Dorian slammed into the islands on Sept. 1 with top sustained winds of 185 miles (298 km) per hour, water-borne and insect-borne diseases, including malaria and dengue fever, are fresh threats for those who remain or return to the island, the Pan American Health Organiz... |
17674 | "A Census Bureau worker says he was told to skew information to bring the unemployment rate down ""as we headed into an election season." | "Hasselbeck said Julius Buckmon was ""on one side of the scale"" and his fabricated interviews helped push the unemployment rate lower in September 2012. Buckmon did not work for the Census Bureau in 2012 and even if he had, people familiar with the workings inside the bureau doubt it would have made a difference. If h... | false | Census, Jobs, PunditFact, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, | "A drop in the unemployment rate right before the 2012 election has given conservatives a whiff of conspiracy. On the Fox News Channel morning show Fox and Friends, co-hosts Steve Doocy, Brian Kilmeade and Elisabeth Hasselbeck discussed a New York Post report that alleged Census Bureau workers cooked the books between ... |
6800 | Wisconsin charter school open to students of all abilities. | Imagine you walk into a classroom where kindergartners, second-graders and third-graders are working together. The older students guide the young as they share ideas. There is a flurry of movement as they remain active, learning in various forms — from handmade models to technology. | true | Health, General News, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Charter schools | You approach two students at a work station who are creating an image of a farm based on what they had seen during a field trip the day before. You introduce yourself. One of the students speaks up, tells you his name, then points to the boy next to him. “This is my friend, Tim. He doesn’t use words, but he’s OK.” This... |
4063 | Health officials warn about rise in tick disease. | Ticks are active again this season and residents should take steps to prevent tick bites in what’s expected to be a record year for human cases of the tick-borne disease anaplasmosis, the Vermont Department of Health said Wednesday. | true | Vermont, Health, Ticks, Lyme disease, Burlington, Infectious diseases | The illness is spread by blacklegged ticks — the same tick that spreads Lyme disease. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, malaise, chills, nausea, cough and confusion, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Unlike Lyme disease, a rash is rare with anaplasmosis. The disease can be fatal if not treated ... |
39731 | Much of the extra virgin olive oil sold in the U.S. is fake because it’s made with genetically modified soybeans and unapproved chemicals. | Your Extra Virgin Olive Oil Could Be Fake | true | 9/11 Attack on America | "Many shoppers have been squeezed into buying cheap (or even fake) olive oil over the years, so this eRumor is true. Claims that some brands of extra virgin olive oil are cut with soybean or vegetable oils have been around for years. And some in the olive oil industry have drawn heat for using labels that make it... |
18617 | "Scientists tell us that we could have a cure in 10 years for Alzheimer's"" were it not for ""overzealous regulators, excessive taxation and greedy litigators." | "Bachmann said that ""scientists tell us that we could have a cure in 10 years for Alzheimer's"" were it not for ""overzealous regulators, excessive taxation and greedy litigators."" The 10-year goal may or may not be plausible, but if it’s not, there’s wide agreement that the three factors Bachmann mentioned are not t... | false | National, Health Care, Government Regulation, Regulation, Science, Michele Bachmann, | "Are bureaucrats, high taxation and trial lawyers keeping America from tackling Alzheimer’s disease? Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., said they are during a speech to CPAC, the annual conservative conference. After recalling the history of vaccinations against polio, Bachmann said, ""We have another disease ... that's h... |
8961 | Zika vaccine shows promise for treating deadly brain cancer | Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged foreign tourists not to be deterred by deadly wildfires that have razed large swathes and sent smoke as far as South America, even as authorities fretted about renewed dangers ahead. | false | American Society for Microbiology,glioblastomas,Zika vaccine | Morrison made the plea on Wednesday as he visited Kangaroo Island, a usually wildlife-rich tourist attraction off the south coast hit twice in recent weeks by blazes. “Australia is open, Australia is still a wonderful place to come and bring your family and enjoy your holidays,” Morrison told reporters after meeting to... |
23953 | "Taxpayer-funded benefits to illegals"" in California are ""a skyrocketing cost under Obamacare." | The Netherlands and France are trying to convince fellow European nations at a conference in The Hague to end tax exemptions on jet fuel and plane tickets, as part of a drive to make the EU carbon neutral by 2050. | false | Immigration, National, Candidate Biography, Elections, Federal Budget, Health Care, Message Machine 2010, Poverty, Steve Poizner, | In the first major initiative on air travel tax in years, the conference on Thursday and Friday - which will be attended by about 29 countries - will discuss ticket taxes, kerosene levies and value-added tax (VAT) on air travel. The Netherlands wants to agree on steps toward ending the near complete lack of taxation on... |
14827 | "In France, they have a (surveillance) program a thousandfold more invasive"" than the United States." | "Paul said that ""in France, they have a (surveillance) program a thousandfold more invasive"" than the United States.’ "" The term ""a thousandfold"" is impossible to measure and is presumably a rhetorical flourish on Paul’s part. Still, we found five notable areas in which the French system offers law enforcement and... | true | National, Homeland Security, Terrorism, Rand Paul, | "Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul argued against excessive surveillance and the bulk collection of electronic communication data, saying the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., show it isn’t successful. ""The Paris tragedy ... happened while we were still doing bulk collection,"" Paul said... |
10242 | Bitter Taste Receptors Found in Lungs May Aid Asthma Patients | "At least the University that issued the news release must be happy. For comparison, an Associated Press story at least gave some context by saying ""that discovery might one day lead to better treatments for diseases such as asthma"" and that the research team ""hopes to begin tests in humans within a year."" We didn’... | false | "Not applicable. Despite how unclear the story is about what an early stage of research this is in, it IS very early – too early to project drug costs. So we can’t criticize the story for not discussing costs. But we can’t praise it for being so unclear about the early research either. The story merely stated that ""Th... | |
6872 | Congolese boy dies in US after surgery for facial tumor. | A Congolese boy who traveled to Los Angeles to undergo surgery to remove a large tumor on his face died late Friday after having an adverse reaction to anesthesia. | true | Los Angeles, Health, Tumors, North America, Africa | The Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, which co-sponsored 8-year-old Matadi Sela Petit’s travels and medical procedures, announced his death Saturday on social media. The foundation headed by the former NBA star said that during the delicate surgery on Dec. 16, the boy suffered a rare and unexpected genetic reaction to anesth... |
28710 | President Obama signed a law permanently protecting the federal funding of Planned Parenthood. | "What's true: A rule change proposed by the Obama administration forbids states from withholding Title X funding for family planning providers for any reason other than an inability to provide services effectively, thus banning attempts to defund providers (like Planned Parenthood) that also offer abortion services; th... | mixture | Politics, barack obama, christian news, planned parenthood | In September 2016, the Obama administration proposed a rule change in the Title X Family Planning Program, which allocates federal funds to state and local agencies for distribution to organizations providing contraception and other non-abortion-related family planning services. The rule change would prevent those agen... |
7600 | SC vows to ramp up COVID-19 testing; first in nursing homes. | South Carolina health officials vow over the next two months to more than triple the number of coronavirus tests performed in the state. | true | Columbia, Henry McMaster, General News, Business, South Carolina, Nursing homes, Virus Outbreak, Public health | The promise comes as state officials lift restrictions on businesses and experts saying a further return to normal for schools and larger gatherings can only happen with large amounts of testing and the ability to trace back anyone an infected person had significant contact with in the past two weeks. “The virus was ch... |
33161 | One fart burns 67 calories. | If you take a moment to think about this, the answer is rather obvious: none! When you fart, your muscles relax and the gas pressure in your bowels do all the work in expelling the gas. The only way you would achieve a measureable figure in the calories burned farting is if you really strained yourself to the limit. | false | Medical, farting, weight loss | In mid-November 2015, many Internet users became aware that Google returned an interesting search result to those who asked the search engine if farting burned calories: Although Google may return the results shown above to such a query, the source the search engine cited for this information, a Facebook page called ... |
10808 | Pomegranate juice could help kidney patients | Early and frequent caveats such as: the findings have not yet been vetted by independent experts the study needs to be replicated by other centers the researchers were only able to rule out chance as the cause of the reduction in the second visit to the hospital (one of the findings reported). It also made excellent u... | true | Diet studies,Kidney Disease,Reuters Health | The story included a price estimate for one brand of pomegranate juice – about $4 for a 16 oz. bottle. Good use of absolute risk reduction: “According to the findings, among 50 patients drinking pomegranate juice for a year, about two would have to go to the hospital at least twice. By comparison, that number would be ... |
1461 | Stephen Hawking's thesis, wheelchair heading for auction. | From a copy of his PhD thesis to his wheelchair, items belonging to Stephen Hawking are headed for auction, offering fans of the late British physicist famed for his work exploring the origins of the universe a chance to buy some of his possessions. | true | Science News | Known for his acclaimed research on black holes, the wheelchair-bound Hawking, who suffered from motor neurone disease and used an electronic voice synthesizer, died in March at the age of 76. “On the Shoulders of Giants”, which also features documents penned by Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein, will fe... |
6684 | NIH cancer chief to serve as acting FDA commissioner. | The head of the National Cancer Institute will temporarily take charge of the Food and Drug Administration next month after the departure of its current chief. | true | Health, Business, U.S. News, Alex Azar, Cancer | The appointment Tuesday of Dr. Ned Sharpless comes a week after Scott Gottlieb unexpectedly announced his resignation. Sharpless currently heads the National Institutes of Health’s cancer division, which directs billions in federal funding and grants for research. His name has been circulated as one of several governme... |
33816 | After collapsing at a post-concert party, a rock star was rushed to an emergency room, where doctors pumped a pint of semen out of his (or her) stomach. | Although this tale is rarely related as a belief tale these days (i.e., the tellers generally realize they’re passing on something that’s merely a wild story and not an account of an actual occurrence, even if they continue to claim the latter), similar tales about a girl who inadvertently blurts out an embarrassing qu... | false | Risqué Business, homosexuality, music | Good legends never die; they simply morph to fit the changing times. Way back when, in less sexually open times, the guys in high school who weren’t getting any (which was most of them) would tell salacious and spiteful tales about those ubiquitous symbols of youthful sexual desire: cheerleaders. If you couldn’t have t... |
9372 | FDA expands use of Novartis MS drug to pediatric patients | This incredibly short news brief reported on the FDA’s expanded approval of a drug for relapsing multiple sclerosis called Gilenya (fingolimid) to treat children and adolescents 10 and older. The drug was previously approved for use in adults. This news flash was targeted at investors and addressed the availability and... | false | Multiple sclerosis | There was no cost data. Gilenya costs $8,210 for a 30-day supply, according to the web site drugs.com. The story stated: In a clinical trial 86 percent of patients receiving Gilenya remained relapse-free after 24 months of treatment, compared to 46 percent of those who were administered another MS drug. However, it did... |
10945 | Yoga helps treatment, study finds | Yoga is not new, but yoga for people in active cancer treatment is a relatively new strategy. The story reported a scientific study of the effect of yoga on quality of life for women undergoing breast cancer treatment. The story provides a good description of study design and some quantification of the benefits of trea... | true | The cost of yoga classes is not mentioned. While yoga is generally inexpensive and can be practiced with little to no equipment, it may not feel inexpensive to many people (particularly for the many women in the over 65 population at highest risk for breast cancer and living on a fixed income). Many women have difficul... | |
704 | Indonesia's ragtag firefighters on frontline of Borneo's forest blazes. | From soon after sunrise, a group of volunteers gathers every day on Indonesia’s portion of Borneo island to throw themselves into the desperate fight against the worst forest fires in years. | true | Environment | But the firefighters in the once verdant district of Pulang Pisau often have only makeshift equipment, with little more than face masks to protect against choking smoke from the blazes. “We can’t afford to provide fireproof suits for the volunteers, so they wear what they own, but the important thing is to ensure their... |
36309 | "There were non-white mermaids in Disney's first ""The Little Mermaid"" media from the early 1990s." | Disney, Ariel, and the ‘White Mermaids’ Dispute | true | Fact Checks, Viral Content | In early July 2019, Haile Bailey’s casting as main character Ariel in a live-action reboot of Disney’s animated film The Little Mermaid caused controversy on social media, sparking a meme about another person of color having appeared in the original animated television series from the early 1990s.In the meme linked abo... |
33889 | "The Roman orator Cicero issued a warning about a nation's being destroyed by ""treason from within." | The application of the faux Cicero “treason” quotation to President Trump began before his Helsinki press conference with Putin, and this “Two thousand year old warning” meme appears to have first been posted in August 2017 by the anti-Trump Facebook page “Politicked.” | false | Questionable Quotes, donald trump | In July 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump was the target of many critics who took umbrage with his appearing to take the side of Russian president Vladimir Putin over allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. As Trump stood next to the Russian president at a press conference following a Ru... |
10791 | Topical skin creams effective to treat superficial basal cell carcinoma: New study | This is a news release about a study carried out in the Netherlands that looked at 3-year data from more than 600 patients with superficial basal cell carcinoma (BCC) who were treated topically with non-surgical, noninvasive therapies. The study compares two different forms of topical treatment with photo-dynamic thera... | true | Cancer,Journal news release | The news release notes that “Fluorouracil has the advantage of being less expensive than imiquimod,” a statement for which we rank this satisfactory. But it would have been more complete if we had been told how much cheaper, and how the topical treatments compare with the cost of surgical removal or photo-dynamic thera... |
9297 | Clinical studies show 'CHORI-bar' results in broad scale health improvements: Benefits apparent after 2 months of consumption of the nutrient bar | Researchers at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI; recently renamed UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital) announce the development of a “micronutrient and fiber-dense supplement bar” that apparently led to improved metabolism and weight loss in overweight and obese individuals in clinical trials. But a s... | false | CHORI bar,supplements,weight loss | There is nary a mention of cost, although participants in the clinical studies consumed two CHORI bars per day for a couple of months, suggesting anyone relying on this intervention will need to keep beaucoup bars in the pantry. The peer-reviewed article on which the news release is based quantifies the results of the ... |
2459 | Giant panda gives birth in Washington, but who's the daddy?. | A giant panda gave birth to a cub at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington on Friday - though it’s not immediately clear who the father might be. | true | Environment | The birth of the cub, which has not yet been named, is the third for the mother, 15-year-old Mei Xiang, who could be seen cradling the new arrival on the zoo’s “Panda Cam” shortly after giving birth on Friday evening. The baby panda appears healthy, said zoo director Dennis Kelly, adding that scientists will take a clo... |
4104 | Minnesota declares outbreak of hepatitis A. | Minnesota health officials say there’s an outbreak in cases of hepatitis A, a virus that can cause severe liver damage. | true | Health, General News, Infectious diseases, Minnesota, Hepatitis | Twenty-three cases have been identified with 13 patients requiring hospitalization for the virus, which is spread by unsanitary conditions. The state Department of Health is advocating for broader vaccination efforts in high-risk areas, such as jails and homeless shelters. The department’s infectious disease director, ... |
3140 | Mysterious mummy found in Iran could be father of last shah. | Construction workers in Iran may have unearthed the mummified remains of Reza Shah Pahlavi, the father of the country’s last monarch, nearly four decades after the Islamic Revolution toppled the dynasty. | true | Dubai, AP Top News, Iran, Religion, United Arab Emirates, International News, Middle East, Science, Reza Pahlavi, Islam | The recent find of the gauze-wrapped body has triggered intense speculation and revived discussion of Iran’s dynastic past, which the clerically-run government has spent decades trying to suppress. A mob demolished Reza Shah’s tomb shortly after the 1979 revolution, and the family lives in exile. The monarchy’s widespr... |
2311 | Food firms seek to rebuild trust with labeling, ad pledge. | The world’s top food and drink companies announced a raft of measures on Wednesday to try to improve the industry’s image, including stopping advertising junk food to children by 2018, harmonizing nutritional labeling and fighting deforestation. | true | Health News | The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), an industry network of some 400 retailers, manufacturers and other players from 70 countries with combined sales of 2.5 trillion euros ($3.4 trillion), agreed the commitments at its annual summit in Paris. “It is not business as usual anymore. Pressure is mounting from all sides and angl... |
8827 | Novartis says cutting prices on malaria drug. | Switzerland’s Novartis AG is cutting prices for its malaria drug Coartem by a fifth to improve access to treatment, especially in Africa, it said on Wednesday. | true | Health News | Novartis said on Wednesday it would reduce prices for the drug from this Friday, which is World Malaria Day, and it was able to supply the drug more cheaply due to efficiency improvements at its production facilities in China and the United States. Malaria, which is caused by a parasite transmitted by mosquitoes, ... |
11380 | Resveratrol May Slow Aging in Humans | "An egregious headline shouts ""Resveratrol May Slow Aging in Humans."" But 10 people took the active substance in the trial and the only outcomes reported in the story were intermediate or surrogate markers – blood levels of various ""pro-inflammatory markers."" Read Dr. Michael Kirsch’s excellent blog post, ""Eviden... | false | "No discussion of the cost of the supplements used in the study. Doesn’t cost matter? How many of the 10 people taking resveratrol had changes in ""pro-inflammatory markers""? All of them? Half of them? How big were the changes? How meaningful were the changes? We weren’t told any of this. Anything we put in our mouths... | |
40219 | The author of the email says her 4-year old daughter ate hand sanitizer at pre-school and was rushed to the hospital with potentially deadly alcohol intoxication. | Four-year old girl intoxicated from hand sanitizer | true | Health / Medical, Warnings | The story is true, although with one glaring factual error. According to a Fox 23 Tulsa television interview with her parents, Matt and Lacey Butler, Little Halle was in a pre-kindergarten class at Okmulgee Primary School in Okmulgee, Oklahoma when a teacher did what seemed to be right, ... |
7414 | Experts worry CDC is sidelined in coronavirus response. | The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has repeatedly found its suggestions for fighting the coronavirus outbreak taking a backseat to other concerns within the Trump administration. That leaves public health experts outside government fearing the agency’s decades of experience in beating back disease threats a... | true | AP Top News, U.S. News, Understanding the Outbreak, Health, General News, Politics, Infectious diseases, Donald Trump, Virus Outbreak, Michael Pence, Public health, U.S. News | “You have the greatest fighting force against infectious diseases in world history. Why would you not use them?” said Dr. Howard Markel, a public health historian at the University of Michigan. The complaints have sounded for months. But they have become louder following repeated revelations that transmission-preventio... |
23016 | Animal abuse is often an indicative trait of future acts of violence against humans. | State senator says animal cruelty lead to violent adults | true | Georgia, Crime, Robert Brown, | "State Sen. Robert Brown wants to strengthen Georgia's animal cruelty laws and made his case at a recent hearing. ""Animal abuse is often an indicative trait of future acts of violence against humans,"" said Brown, a Democrat from Macon, ""and prosecuting such behavior is our first line of defense against potentially d... |
9460 | Strange but true: Sleep deprivation can help depression. Penn scientists want to know why | The story reports on a University of Pennsylvania research study that probed 66 other studies, in what is known as a meta-analysis. Researchers examined how sleep deprivation — anything from three to four hours of sleep followed by 20 to 21 hours awake to no sleep for 36 straight hours — could ease depression symptoms.... | true | depression | The release does not mention costs. One may assume there is no cost to sleep deprivation but the deprivation in the studies was mostly monitored in inpatient facilities, which can be expensive. The story just squeaks by on this, but we want to especially compliment the story for pointing out that the benefits are short... |
3000 | Iowa governor calls for sales tax increase, other tax cuts. | Iowa Gov Kim Reynolds asked lawmakers on Tuesday to consider increasing the state sales taxes by 1 cent to raise money to boost funding for water quality, the environment and mental health care programs. | true | Legislature, Water quality, Iowa, Constitutions, Health, General News, Environment, Kim Reynolds, Sales taxes, Constitutional amendments, Mental health | A 1-cent sales tax increase is expected to generate about $540 million in new revenue a year starting in 2021. Some of the funding will go into a water quality and environmental programs voters passed 10 years ago in a constitutional amendment but the legislature never funded. Reynolds is proposing using $100 million a... |
28192 | "Mike Pence once said that condoms are ""too modern"" and ""too liberal"" and offer a poor defense against sexually transmitted diseases." | Rating this claim comes down to a matter of semantics. Yes, Mike Pence used the words “too modern” and “liberal” during the course of a discussion that encompassed condom use and stated that condoms are “very poor protection against sexually transmitted diseases.” However, he technically didn’t apply the words “modern”... | true | Politics, mike pence | On 11 August 2016 the Patheos blog published an item titled “Mike Pence: Condoms Are Too Modern” reporting that the Indiana governor and Republican vice presidential nominee had dismissed the prophylactic devices as “too modern and too liberal”: Mike Pence claims condoms are too modern, and too liberal. Donald Trump’s ... |
11515 | Pfizer data on failed cholesterol drug offers hope | "The idea that high levels of HDL (or good cholesterol) are associated with decreased risk of heart disease is well established. Much less clear, however, is whether targeting the HDL component alone with a drug could reduce the risk of heart diseae. In December 2006, The ILLUMINATE study, a large clinical trial of an ... | mixture | "The story does not mention costs, or potential costs of the new drug. At least a general statement could have been made about costs of combination drugs. The story does a good job of presenting the harms of the failed drug in terms of natural frequencies (actual numbers) instead of relative rates. The story mentions t... | |
25667 | Greg Abbott Says crime is on the rise in Austin and a new study showed that it “is the No. 1 city in America in the year-to-year percentage increase in murders, with a percentage increase of more than 64% for the first half of this year.” | "Abbott said crime is on the rise in Austin, which is ""the No. 1 city in America in the year-to-year percentage increase in murders, with a percentage increase of more than 64% for the first half of this year."" Abbott’s figures are from a Wall Street Journal analysis of homicides in cities across the country, and the... | mixture | Crime, Texas, Greg Abbott, | "In an effort to dissuade local governments in Texas from cutting police funding, state leaders have pledged to pursue legislation next year that would freeze property tax revenue for any city or county that cuts its law enforcement budget. The move came as the Austin City Council approved its $4.2 billion budget for t... |
8581 | At-home COVID-19 deaths may be significantly undercounted in New York City. | The daily tally of New York City residents who died at home with coronavirus-like symptoms exploded from 45 on March 20 to 241 on April 5, according to Fire Department of New York data - suggesting the city may be significantly undercounting COVID-19 deaths. | true | Health News | Asked about the fire department numbers at a press conference Tuesday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio acknowledged that deaths at home haven’t been fully accounted for. “It’s right to assume the vast majority are coronavirus related,” he said. “And that makes it even more sober in the sense of how many people we ar... |
4074 | Number of confirmed vaping illnesses in Idaho grows to 6. | Idaho public health officials say there are now six confirmed cases of vaping-related lung illness in the state. | true | Health, General News, Lung disease, Vaping, Public health, Idaho | The Idaho Division of Public Health is working with health officials across the state to identify cases of severe lung illness in people who have reported vaping or using e-cigarettes. The first two confirmed cases of the illness were reported in Idaho about two weeks ago. On Friday, the Idaho Department of Health and ... |
17606 | The 'Denver Post' has actually hired an editor to promote pot. | "O’Reilly said the Denver Post was a ""far left concern"" that had ""actually hired an editor to promote pot"". This goes to the newspaper's intent. The Denver Post said it planned to cover many aspects of the unfolding story of legalized marijuana in the state, ranging from policy and laws to the culture of pot users.... | false | After the Fact, Alcohol, Drugs, PunditFact, Marijuana, Bill O'Reilly, | "The Denver Post’s decision to hire a ""pot editor"" to cover the legal recreational use of marijuana in Colorado has drawn the ire of Bill O’Reilly, who twice in four days attacked the newspaper on his Fox News program. Among other things, O’Reilly called the Post’s top editor a pinhead and warned that the paper was p... |
2608 | "Sexting"" again linked to risky sex among teens: study." | One out of every seven Los Angeles high schoolers with a cell phone has sent a sexually-explicit text message or photo, and were also more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors, according to a study based on a 2011 survey. | true | Health News | "The study, published in Pediatrics, found that the LA teens who had sent racy texts were seven times more likely to be sexually active than those who said they’d never sexted. “What we really wanted to know is, is there a link between sexting and taking risks with your body? And the answer is a pretty resounding ‘yes,... |
38355 | A doll called “My Friend Cayla” contains a connected bluetooth listening device that is being used to spy on children and record their conversations. | 'My Friend Cayla' Doll Being Hacked, Used for Espionage | mixture | Warnings | The maker of the “My Friend Cayla” doll and other “smart” kids’ toys faces allegations that its toys illegally record children’s interactions and send information back to the manufacturer over the internet without permission from the children’s parents. Warnings about the My Friend Cayla doll recording private conversa... |
17906 | The president’s own advisers have said there’s a war on coal. | "McConnell said, ""The president’s own advisers have said there’s a war on coal."" A man who sits on a presidential advisory council did speak of a war on coal. It is accurate to call him an adviser. It is inaccurate to refer to more than one adviser but much more significant, it also falls wide of the mark to interpre... | false | National, Energy, Jobs, Mitch McConnell, | "The unveiling of proposed regulations to limit greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants stirred up protests that the administration is waging ""a war on coal."" Under these rules, newly built coal-fired facilities could not release more than 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour. The most advanced pla... |
1175 | Study finds possible link between sugary drinks and cancer. | People who drink a lot of sugary drinks have a higher risk of developing cancer, although the evidence cannot establish a direct causal link, researchers said on Thursday. | true | Health News | The findings of a large study in France do suggest, however, that limiting intake of sugar-sweetened drinks may help to cut the number of cancer cases in a population, the scientists said. Consumption of sugary drinks has risen worldwide in the last few decades and is linked to obesity, which itself increases cancer ri... |
9725 | Heart Scan Can Fine-Tune Risk Estimate for Patients Considering Statins | Credit NHLBI. This story hits almost all the high points we look for in a news report. It gives readers not only the basic summary of an analysis of how CT scan results showing levels of calcium deposits in coronary arteries are associated with 10-year rates of heart attacks and other cardiovascular disease, but it inc... | true | Dr. Harlan Krumholz,statins | The story reports that a CT scan looking for calcium in coronary arteries “typically costs between $75 and $100. Still, it is generally not covered by insurance and so is not often used to assess risk.” That’s enough information to clear our bar handily, although we’d note that such scans can also turn up lung nodules ... |
3457 | Lawsuit: Pentagon withholding info from veterans’ advocates. | A veterans group said the Pentagon has stopped releasing information that helps former service members to contest less-than-honorable discharges from the military. | true | Norfolk, Mental health, Health, Lawsuits, Virginia, Post-traumatic stress disorder, U.S. News, Veterans, General News | The Defense Department has been breaking the law since April, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court in Virginia by the National Veterans Legal Services Program. The group says it lacks access to decisions made by military review boards. The boards grant or deny a veteran’s request to upgrade a less-tha... |
11169 | Clinical Trial Demonstrates Success of Low FODMAP Diet | This news release touts results from a single-blind randomized controlled trial of a diet that’s emerged in the last decade to relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a tough-to-treat gut disorder with no cure. The low FODMAP (an acronym for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And P... | mixture | Academic medical center news release | A low FODMAP diet might raise grocery bills, since it requires specialty products that eliminate wheat, lactose, fructose, and other common ingredients. It’s understandable that the news release doesn’t address a potential modest increase in food expenses. However, the cost of working with a registered dietitian over s... |
34599 | A Harvard study proved instant noodles and ramen can cause irreversible damage to your body. | What's true: A 2014 study found some indication that frequent consumption of ramen was linked to adverse outcomes. What's false: The results of the study have not been reproduced, and the research states that instant noodles haven't been isolated as a single factor in adverse health outcomes. | unproven | Food, food warnings, harvard, instant noodles | On 4 July 2016, the web site NextShark published an article reporting that a Harvard study had found that the consumption of instant ramen causes extensive health problems to those who frequently partake of that convenience food: Cheap, easy to prepare and undeniably delicious, instant noodles have become a favorite fo... |
5814 | Jury awards family $130 million in medical malpractice case. | A jury has awarded the family of a boy who suffered brain damage after being treated at a suburban Detroit hospital more than $130 million in a medical malpractice case. | true | Royal Oak, Medical malpractice, Pontiac, Detroit | The McKeen & Associates law firm announced the verdict Tuesday following a trial in Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac. The firm says that in 2006 technicians at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak delayed calling a code blue and failed to give chest compressions as required by the standard of care to then-2-mo... |
31914 | Hours after Massachusetts legalized recreational marijuana, the state had its first cannabis overdose. | The Massachusetts marijuana overdose claim wasn’t The American Tribune‘s first foray into fake news based on cannabis-flavored current events. In late November 2016, the site reported that Green Party candidate Jill Stein embezzled money raised for 2016 election recounts to fund a “marijuana dinner party.” | false | Junk News, fake news, marijuana, massachusetts | On 15 December 2016, the state of Massachusetts officially legalized recreational marijuana. Just after that, an article published by The American Tribune reported: Recreational marijuana has only been legal in Massachusetts for two hours, and we are now already seeing what looks like the first recorded marijuana over... |
10010 | Stave off cognitive decline with seafood | European Union lawmakers agreed on Monday to support a proposal on rules governing which financial products can be called “green” and “sustainable” after EU member states rejected a deal on it last week. | true | Academic medical center news release | The proposal has the potential to make the EU a leader in the booming $200 billion green bond market. Last week, representatives from EU member states backtracked on their approval of a deal reached after months of discussions, noting concerns over the legislative text. Britain, France, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Pol... |
29243 | "Tilapia is a boneless, skinless, ""mutant"" fish that is full of cancer-causing dioxins, is worse to eat than bacon or hamburger, and is killing our families." | The bottom line is that none of the supposed justifications for avoiding tilapia or claiming that “it’s killing our families” hold water. To the contrary, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) included tilapia in its 2017 list of “best choices” for seafood consumption by pregnant women and children, recommending ... | false | Critter Country, bad science memes, fish, tilapia | “Tilapia” is the market name of a variety of mild-flavored, inexpensive freshwater fish species commercially farmed, harvested, and consumed throughout the world. As of 2016, it was the fourth most popular seafood species eaten in the United States. Despite the recognized health benefits of consuming tilapia (and fish ... |
8062 | With obesity and diabetes epidemic, Mexico braces for coronavirus. | Four of the six people who have died from coronavirus in Mexico so far had diabetes, raising alarm bells that a country with one of the world’s highest rates of the condition may be more vulnerable than its relatively young average age might suggest. | true | Health News | The World Health Organization has said people with diabetes and its related health complications are among those most vulnerable to severe cases of the highly contagious and sometimes deadly illness caused by the new coronavirus, along with the elderly. Mexico has the fewest retirement-age citizens among nations belong... |
34573 | "When asked by Hillary Clinton why she thought the U.S. hasn't had a female president yet, Mother Teresa answered, ""Because you probably aborted her." | But none of the leads we’ve followed converge on a single source, much less an authoritative one. There doesn’t seem to be a source. It’s just “that story about that time Hillary Clinton got schooled by Mother Teresa” people tell at pro-life events. It is told consistently, mind you — apart from small details — but suc... | unproven | Politics, abortion, hillary clinton, mother teresa | In a Vatican ceremony on 4 September 2016, Pope Francis conferred sainthood upon Mother Teresa, the Albanian-born nun who famously devoted most of her life to ministering to the poor in India until her death in 1997 at the age of 87. He described her as a “model of holiness” and “generous dispenser of divine mercy,” ci... |
41036 | If it drops on a metal surface it will live for at least 12 hours - so if you come into contact with any metal surface - wash your hands as soon as you can with a bacterial soap. | It’s not yet known exactly how long the virus survives on surfaces. | unproven | online | If you have a runny nose and sputum, you have a common cold. These are the symptoms for the common cold, but they don’t rule out Covid-19. Coronavirus pneumonia is a dry cough with no runny nose. Some Covid-19 patients do get pneumonia, and one of the symptoms is a dry cough. A runny nose doesn’t rule out Covid-19. The... |
11563 | Antibiotics Defeat Ear Infections In Little Kids, Studies Find | This well written blog post accompanied a fairly thorough on-air discussion of two new studies showing the benefits of vaccines for treating middle ear infections in young children. A child with an ear infection can lead to a frightening and frustrating experience for parents. Because so many doctors are now used to th... | true | NPR | Neither the blog post nor the radio piece discussed specific costs, although the blog post did describe the antibiotic in question, Augmentin, as inexpensive. Since these are kids, the suspension would be used (10 days), and the cost according to Drugstore.com is $76. Because the criteria used in both studies may be su... |
35665 | Some 59 people died after a pastor gave them Dettol to drink to supposedly prevent coronavirus. | While it appears, based on 2016 press reports, that this pastor truly suggested the consumption of cleaning products in order to prevent or cure diseases, these photos do not come from March 2020 and are not evidence that 59 people died after a pastor told them to drink Dettol to prevent coronavirus. | false | Medical, COVID-19 | In March 2020, a rumor started to circulate on social media that 59 people in South Africa had died after a pastor told them to drink Dettol, a disinfectant cleaning product similar to Lysol, in order to prevent COVID-19 coronavirus disease. An article on the website Kenya Today was accompanied by an image supposedly s... |
10108 | In Highly Lethal Type of Leukemia, Cancer Gene Predicts Treatment Response | acute myeloid leukemia (AML)Decitabine, a drug usually seen as a milder form of chemotherapy, may be an improved treatment for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who also have mutations in the TP53 gene, according to this news release from Washington University in St. Louis. People with AML who have this gene m... | true | Academic medical center news release,Cancer | There is no discussion of cost in this story. Decitabine is an FDA-approved drug and costs are readily available, but nothing is said of the costs or the relative costs of other treatments. The release describes the benefit of the preliminary trial in sufficient depth and with appropriate cautions. It relates that each... |
27722 | "Common usage of the phrase ""Always a bridesmaid but never a bride"" originated with an advertising campaign for Listerine mouthwash." | Listerine, by the way, did more than merely bestow upon the English language a lasting turn of phrase. Prior to its being marketed as a breath freshener (its earlier uses were to sterilize gauze bandages, clean floors, irrigate nasal passages, and the product was even touted as both baldness and gonorrhea cures), folks... | true | Language, ASP Article, Phrase Craze | Bridesmaids are female attendants who traditionally serve to ready the bride on her wedding day, plus in more modern times run various nuptial-related errands on her behalf in the months and weeks leading up to the big day. At one time they were chosen from among the unwed young women of marriageable age of the bride’s... |
6255 | Marijuana backers balk at plan to revise ballot measure. | A pair of pro-marijuana groups in Utah accused the Mormon church Thursday of “extreme undermining” of a medical marijuana ballot measure, alleging it is exerting its power to push through significant changes to the proposition. | true | Legislature, Medical marijuana, Utah, Marijuana, Church and state, Rocky Anderson, Salt Lake City | In a letter, the groups called for the cancellation of an upcoming special session of the Legislature set up as part of a pre-election compromise between pot advocates, the church and state lawmakers to gain the support of the church for medical marijuana. Key revisions to the ballot measure approved by voters last wee... |
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