Datasets:
bigbio
/
pubhealth

Dataset card Data Studio Files
xet
Community
id
stringlengths
1
4
document_id
stringlengths
1
5
text_1
stringlengths
26
490
text_2
stringlengths
11
4.18k
label
stringclasses
4 values
1403
18047
"""Scott Walker Says President Franklin Delano Roosevelt """"felt there wasn’t a need in the public sector to have collective bargaining because the government is the people."""
"""Walker said FDR """"felt there wasn’t a need in the public sector to have collective bargaining because the government is the people."""" The governor relies -- to good effect -- on Roosevelt’s 1937 letter, which, along with other primary evidence, lays out in striking language FDR’s deep reservations about the need for and wisdom of public-sector bargaining. While Roosevelt was open to discussion with represented and unrepresented employees over working conditions, he seemingly had major concerns about a formal, contractual bargaining process. Scholars cite Roosevelt’s positive comments on the Tennessee Valley Authority labor contracts, and debate certain phraseology in FDR's writings, but it’s limited evidence compared to the clear impression left by the letter and press conference remarks. Roosevelt saw a """"logical place"""" for unions in government affairs, but the most compelling evidence suggests he drew the line at collective bargaining with them."""
true
1404
11177
Braeburn Pharmaceuticals and Camurus announce positive top line results from Phase 2 opioid challenge study with CAM2038 in subjects with opioid use disorder
This news release offers uniformly positive assessments about a trial of a drug that, theoretically, might help save thousands of lives. It is an important topic, but the release gave little in the way of meaningful data to support the assertions. It contains all the ingredients of what could be a useful news release — discussion of the study, its design, its findings, comments from company officials and two academics. But, absent meaningful numbers and context, those elements are not enough to help the reader decide how much importance to attribute to the news release’s claims. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 69,000 people die each year from opioid overdose. In addition, some 15 million people are addicted to opioids — most of them to heroin. Though treatments exist, only 10% of those who need them get them, the organization says. Those treatments include “psychosocial support, opioid maintenance treatments such as methadone and buprenorphine, supported detoxification and treatment with opioid antagonists such a naltrexone,” according to WHO. Treatment with buprenorphine (marketed as Subutex and Suboxone), which can be given in a variety of formulations, typically requires daily doses. If a once-a-week or once-a-month version of the drug were available, patients might be more likely to stick to their treatment plan and, as a result, be more likely to overcome their dependence on opioids. The drug cited in the news release, CAM2038, is a long-acting form of buprenorphine, which is used to treat pain as well as to treat opioid addiction.
false
1405
31368
Photographs show a “new killer insect” that is able to spread a skin-altering virus when touched.
A warning about a “new killer insect” that is able to spread a skin-altering virus when touched is just a prank.
false
1406
11392
Surgeon’s trial study on cancer is hailed
This was an interesting story about an early trial to treat glioblastoma. It reported on partial results of a study. But it let the principal investigator get away with declining to reveal all of the survival data because he wanted to wait until he presented the data at a cancer meeting. Even when he presents the data at that meeting, it will not have been peer-reviewed and it would be difficult for others to comment in-depth about the results. This is one of the weaknesses of stories that try to get a jump on reporting research results. Indeed, the story contained only the perspectives of two clinicians involved in the study. No independent perspective was included. We commend the story for at least referring to the potential bias of one of the sources. The story did not really provide a clear picture about the usual course of the disease. It also did not adequately detail what lies behind the end point of time to cancer recurrence. In addition, although the story mentioned that the people who received the experimental approach were ‘cherry-picked’, it failed to point out that one can’t conclude that the approach had an effect because the outcomes for those in the study were compared to historical controls which would have included a broader range of disease than those in the ‘cherry-picked’ group. The optimism, therefore, may be misplaced. The grateful patient’s perspective may not be representative and her health status at this time cannot be clearly linked to the experimental approach. The story did not provide adequate information about risks and benefits. Cost information was also lacking. And while it was timely to mention Senator Kennedy’s recent diagnosis, the story exhibited one of the flaws in reporting on the illness of well-known people when you don’t have first-hand knowledge of the situation. The story said that “Kennedy’s tumor is thought to be inoperable.”  Perhaps so. But today Kennedy had surgery, which may be followed by radiation and chemotherapy.
mixture
1407
9883
Niacin shrinks artery plaque; Merck’s Zetia does not and may carry risks, new study finds
Overall, a reasonably complete story that addressed our criteria. The story provides a reasonable amount of information on the study and places it in context of other studies and in context of other treatment options.
true
1408
33044
"""The CDC linked a parasitic worm outbreak to the use of """"worm filler"""" in McDonald's beef patties."""
The site similarly snared social media users in November 2015 with a false report that 53 people had been killed in a Halloween “hatchet massacre” aboard the Queen Mary.
false
1409
34496
Macy's pulled funding from Planned Parenthood in December 2016 under pressure from anti-abortion groups.
We have contacted Macy’s about the claim, but have not yet received a response. However, the December 2016 controversy would not be the first time that a company was erroneously accused of donating to Planned Parenthood. Olive Garden was falsely accused of donating to the organization in a similar social media frenzy; the claims were false. The 2015 Macy’s statement reproduced here suggests that the company does not and did not fund Planned Parenthood, and we could find no evidence to the contrary.
unproven
1410
26323
"""Young people """"have a greater chance of being killed by the HPV vaccine than COVID-19.”"""
State Rep. Jeff Shipley wrote that young people have a higher risk of dying from the HPV vaccination than of COVID-19. No deaths have ever been linked to the HPV vaccine. While young people are less at risk of dying of COVID-19 than older adults, some younger people have died from the virus.
false
1411
29576
"""Photographs of a six-year-old Happy Meal document that McDonald's food items don't break down or rot like """"real"""" food."""
"""What's true: Under specific conditions, food items (and other organic matter) dry out quickly and don't decompose. What's false: It's not the case that McDonald's menu items alone """"don't rot,"""" or that McDonald's food never """"rots"""" under any condition, or that """"chemicals"""" cause McDonald's food to not break down over the course of years."""
false
1412
8475
Forest fire around Chernobyl plant put out, Ukraine says.
A huge fire that tore through forests around the defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant has been put out, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday, after hundreds of emergency workers used planes and helicopters to douse the flames.
true
1413
14396
"""Congress will begin its recess """"without having allocated one penny"""" to fight Zika."""
"""Clinton said that Congress had not """"allocated one penny"""" to fight Zika. In terms of targeting new dollars to deal with the Zika virus, that is correct. House Republicans say that they did provide money through the emergency Ebola appropriation. To the extent that those funds could be redirected, that holds up. But it is also true that when that money was approved there was a bipartisan agreement that it would be used for longer term efforts to build overall health care system capacity. There is a policy disagreement on the best way to deploy federal funds -- and we're not weighing in on that here. But regardless, there is no new money to confront Zika."""
true
1414
30556
Vibrant Body Company staged an online bra promotion as a front for human trafficking.
A Vibrant Body Company bra promotion has been linked to rumors of a human trafficking scheme.
false
1415
3237
Weight loss among fat-acceptance influencers a fraught topic.
Fashion and lifestyle blogger Maui Bigelow has always been curvy and built a social media presence by embracing every pound.
true
1416
14722
"""I helped write"""" the Affordable Care Act."""
"""Sanders said he """"helped write"""" the Affordable Care Act. He deserves credit for one provision of it -- worth a not-insignificant $11 billion. But overall, he was hardly an inside crafter of the bill. Until his effort was blocked by a GOP procedural move, Sanders supported a more aggressive single-payer system, and multiple news articles quoted him as being undecided about supporting the main Democratic bill until late in the process. Sanders’ statement contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression. UPDATE, March 28, 2016: After we published our story, Sanders’ staff provided PolitiFact with several additional examples of provisions the senator helped insert into the Affordable Care Act, sometimes with the cooperation of other lawmakers. According to his staff, these include $1.5 billion in mandatory spending for the National Health Service Corps, a negotiated rule-making process to redefine the criteria for designating medically underserved areas, a waiver for states that want to experiment on health care policy, a provision to double penalties for health care fraud, a provision strengthening the False Claims Act, language to make volunteer ambulance personnel and firefighters who perform emergency medical services eligible for grants and loans, a provision to ease payments to alternative medicine practitioners, higher funding levels for the Public Health and Prevention Fund, and a formula increase in Medicaid funding that benefited his home state of Vermont. While this list does provide a more detailed picture of Sanders’ role in the bill’s crafting, none of these provisions involve core elements of the law, such as the exchanges and subsidies, the individual and employer mandates, the Medicaid expansion, the tax changes, the essential benefits package, and the provisions on cost containment. We stand by our original conclusion that, despite making contributions to the final legislation, Sanders was, for most of the process, an outsider pushing for a more aggressive single-payer system rather than an insider negotiating and crafting the final design of the bill. While saying that he """"helped write"""" the Affordable Care Act contains an element of truth, Sanders ignores critical facts that would give a different impression."""
false
1417
7591
After bridge collapse, flashbacks, anxiety for one survivor.
Richie Humble says flashbacks and anxiety attacks have haunted him ever since a pedestrian bridge near a Florida university fell on the car he was riding in, killing six people including the college friend driving their vehicle.
true
1418
24165
"""My """"border security efforts have led to a 60 percent decrease in border crime."""
Gov. Rick Perry says his border security efforts led to 60-percent drop in crime along Texas-Mexico border
false
1419
35254
First daughter Ivanka Trump was granted a trademark on coffins in China and stands to profit from the COVID-19 pandemic.
What's true: Ivanka Trump's company holds a variety of trademarks in China, including one for coffins. What's false: However, this trademark was granted in 2018, well before the COVID-19 pandemic occurred. Moreover, Ivanka Trump shuttered her business in July 2018 to focus on work for the White House and there is no evidence she is involved in manufacturing or selling coffins in China or elsewhere.
mixture
1420
16768
Teenage births cost Texas taxpayers $1.1 billion in health care, foster care and lost tax revenue in 2010 alone.
"""In the course of comparing the results of Colorado’s public contraceptives program to Texas’ high teen birth rate and abstinence-only program, Michael Eric Dyson said, """"Teenage births cost Texas taxpayers $1.1 billion in health care, foster care and lost tax revenue in 2010 alone."""" Dyson’s stat comes from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, who experts say is a reliable source. But Dyson misrepresents their data in three minor ways: He gives an incomplete list of the components of that cost; he implies that teenage births cost Texas taxpayers $1.1 billion when, in fact, births in Texas cost all taxpayers $1.1 billion; and he doesn’t mention that the National Campaign’s stat is a conservative estimate on an issue that’s difficult to quantify. Dyson gets the gist of the statistic right, though he was inartful in his phrasing."""
mixture
1421
34584
DNC speaker Khizr Khan, father of fallen Army Capt. Humayun Khan, is a Muslim Brotherhood operative.
What's true: Khizr Khan is a Muslim-American. What's false: No credible evidence supports the assertion that Khan is an operative of the Muslim Brotherhood.
unproven
1422
3516
Connecticut lawmakers considering expanding seatbelt law.
Connecticut’s Department of Public Health is recommending state lawmakers require everyone riding in a vehicle to wear a seatbelt.
true
1423
9035
NIH scientists adapt new brain disease test for Parkinson’s, dementia with Lewy bodies
Getty Images This news release describes how researchers are adapting a test they developed for rapid diagnosis of prion diseases to earlier detection of Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. The news release gives data from the results, which appeared in a published study, and explains how a more rapid test could help identify patients for clinical trials. However, it doesn’t talk about the impact of early detection of these devastating diseases on patients or give a good sense of the test’s potential availability. Also, it doesn’t mention that four of the authors have applied for a patent on the related technology. Quicker, cheaper detection of neurological diseases might be good for individual patients, or it might not. News releases about such advances will be read by patients and their families and should strive to discuss the impact of early diagnosis, beyond the potential benefits for research. That might include prompter treatment of symptoms or unnecessary anxiety, for example. Readers should be aware that since the test is still under development; earlier detection from such a test isn’t going to be available to individual patients any time soon.
mixture
1424
10094
Parkinson’s patients get relief from symptoms with Pilates
The goals of therapy in Parkinson’s include a broad range of coping strategies to help patients better manage the emotional and physical toll of their disease. Stretching, strengthening, and gait and balance training are among the therapies that may help to blunt symptoms, reduce disability, and improve patients’ sense of control and well-being. A discussion of how Pilates’ exercises fit into the existing research in this area would have been informative for patients and their caregivers. The AP story instead relies almost exclusively on the testimonials of Pilates’ studio owners and Parkinson’s patients who have enrolled in Pilates’ classes. Despite the author’s contention that there is no evidence to support the efficacy of Pilates' exercises, many readers will take away the opposite message. The story fails to provide the cost of Pilates’ classes, an accounting of their availability, their potential harms (if any), a scientific estimate of their clinical value, or their context among other medical therapies and interventions for Parkinson’s. Millions of people around the world rely on wire-services articles such as this for meaningful reporting on serious medical conditions. They deserve fewer anecdotes and more science.
false
1425
36376
A proposed bill in Ohio would ban birth control pills and IUDs if it passes.
Does a Proposed Ohio Bill Make the Pill and IUDs Illegal?
unproven
1426
10887
Dose reduction strategy can substantially reduce high cost of TNF inhibitor therapy in RA
This news release lays out in clear, lay language the findings of a study looking into whether reducing the amount of tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) administered to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) diminishes its effectiveness. It goes beyond the study to include quotes from the lead author that do a good job summarizing the work. But while the release touts the possible cost-effectiveness of the reduced-dose strategy, it does not say how much money might be saved if clinicians adopt it, or even provide a ballpark figure for what the drug costs. Perhaps direct costs aren’t as important for patients in Europe, where this release originated, but surely any journalist reporting on the story would want to put a figure on the potential savings — so why not put those numbers in the news release? Cutting the amount of drug used would save money and might reduce the incidence or severity of side effects — both of which would increase value to patients and the health care system.
mixture
1427
2308
Pope Francis warns on 'evil' of drugs, opposes legalization.
Pope Francis warned on Friday against legalizing drugs, calling addiction an “evil” which he said had to be resisted without compromise.
true
1428
27089
"""The U.S. government """"subsidizes"""" medications for erectile dysfunction."""
For context, we asked the DoD for a cost breakdown of how much it spends on birth control, but we did not receive a response by the time of publication. We will update when further information becomes available.
true
1429
1643
In rise of U.S. vape shops, owners eye new marijuana market.
When Matt and Jen Osmun opened their vape shop in Bethel, Connecticut, last December, they didn’t expect to get a boost from the local medical marijuana outlet.
true
1430
8706
Ventilator receives first approval in UK's coronavirus battle.
Britain has given regulatory approval to a ventilator which will be made by a group of companies including Airbus, Ford and McLaren, the first such go-ahead as part of efforts to combat the coronavirus.
true
1431
6575
Colorado OKs electric car requirement to fight air pollution.
Colorado tightened its air quality regulations on Friday, requiring that at least 5% of the vehicles sold in the state by 2023 emit zero pollution.
true
1432
20332
Lean, finely textured beef is the proper name [not pink slime], and it is a safe, widely used product.
Don't call it pink slime, Georgia official says
true
1433
22750
"""Under current U.S. immigration policy, """"literally one person with a green card"""" can, in the extreme, bring in more than 270 of his relatives."""
Marietta Republican says a single immigrant can lead to more than 270 others
false
1434
8755
Mini antibodies: biotech's next big thing?.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s head of biotech research is excited about a new generation of “slimline” antibody medicines that may be successors to current blockbusters such as Avastin and Rituxan.
true
1435
33344
Drinking cold water after meals causes unpleasant and lasting side effects.
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.
false
1436
33488
College cafeteria food is laced with laxatives.
Less common versions of the legend aim it at the military and fast food restaurants, with the fast food tellings citing the reduction of food poisoning risk as the reason for the addition of laxatives to those edibles. (However, laxatives generally aid in the process of evacuating waste material from the bowels; they don’t prevent the body from digesting noxious material that has been taken into the stomach.) The military variant of this version contains a surprising twist: not only does it assert the purgative is hidden in the gum that comes with Meals Ready to Eat (M.R.E.s), but that the M.R.E.s themselves are meant to constipate soldiers so as to alleviate the issue of their potentially needing to go during battle, with the gum meant to resolve that issue once things have quieted down.
false
1437
9134
Uterine fibroid embolization helps restore fertility
The news release describes a research study that assessed pregnancy rates in women with uterine fibroids after they’d undergone a treatment called uterine fibroid embolization (UFE). UFE involves injecting an agent into the uterine arteries to block the blood supply to the uterus and fibroids which causes the fibroids to shrink and die. The research set out to determine whether either of two types of UFE — conventional and partial — is viable for treating uterine fibroids while preserving fertility. But the release suggests that all of the women who became pregnant after the procedure did so because the fibroids were treated. However, it’s unclear whether the fibroids caused infertility (they don’t always) or whether their removal made pregnancy possible. The release could have spelled out potential harms from the procedure a lot more clearly than it did. The release misleadingly associates uterine fibroids with infertility. Fibroids are very common and often do not cause symptoms such as bleeding or pain. If they do cause symptoms, treatment options include medication, surgery and uterine artery embolization (UAE). Some cases of infertility can be caused by fibroids, but (contrary to the release) it is not well known how often fibroids are the root cause. The release quotes the study, but the study itself misstates the extent to which fibroids are known to cause infertility. The quote that 1-in-4 women with fibroids have problems with fertility is based on a classic study published in 1981, and is inaccurate to boot. Other authors citing the same reference conclude that fibroids account for 1-2 percent of infertility, according to UpToDate, the gold standard online medical text. Because of the uncertainty of the effects of fibroids on fertility, women found to have fibroids who desire a future pregnancy are generally counseled not to postpone pregnancy, since fertility declines with age — but they are NOT advised to have treatment in the absence of other symptoms, unless the fibroids have particular features such as their location that are likely to prevent pregnancy. The conventional treatment for women with uterine fibroids is myomectomy. Though UFE is a less invasive procedure than myomectomy, its use remains controversial because its effects on fertility are unknown.
mixture
1438
33834
Gangster John Dillinger's exceptionally large penis is housed in one of the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C.
In the 1988 Jay McInerney’s novel Story of My Life, we found this: “I remember I read somewhere that outlaw guy John Dillinger had one that was about a foot and a half long and it’s preserved in the Smithsonian or someplace. Now that’s what I call the Washington Monument.”
false
1439
31590
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said using marijuana leads to more sex, thus causing more unwanted pregnancies and more abortions.
"""A report that the U.S. Attorney General said that marijuana caused more unwanted pregnancies was a hoax from a """"hybrid"""" news site."""
false
1440
9021
Eating pecans had significant effect on biomarkers of heart disease and type 2 diabetes
This release summarizes a small 4-week study of 26 middle-aged adults with overweight or obesity. Researchers from Tufts University examined the effects of eating 1.5 ounces of pecans daily on the volunteers’ cardiovascular biomarkers. The release notes pecans produced “significantly improved insulin sensitivity and had a significant effect on markers of cardiometabolic disease in otherwise healthy overweight and obese adults with excess belly fat.” The release gives readers little in the way of evidence or help in understanding the actual benefits (as opposed to changes in biomarkers) someone supplementing with pecans could experience. People are hungry for good advice on how to eat in order to lessen their risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. But this short news release paints a too simple picture based on a month-long study of a few patients. This study measured biomarkers in blood that are associated with health outcomes in order to find out whether eating pecans changed their health outcomes, but it did not follow these patients beyond four weeks. Sometimes a biomarker is just a surrogate that does not help patients understand real health outcomes. We wish the National Pecan Sheller’s Association, which funded the study, had taken a longer look at more meaningful outcomes. Read more about the misleading nature of some nutrition studies.
false
1441
37913
BREAKING: Autopsy reveals that Kyle Rittenhouse’s first victim was shot in the back multiple times. Rittenhouse did not act in self-defense.
A popular and widely-shared Facebook post asserted that an autopsy of “Kyle Rittenhouse’s first victim” Joseph Rosenbaum determined Rosenbaum “was shot in the back multiple times”; ergo, “Rittenhouse did not act in self-defense.” Milwaukee’s Medical Examiner in fact determined Rosenbaum was shot once in the back, and sustained several additional wounds. Rittenhouse’s lawyer has telegraphed an intent to claim the teen was acting in self-defense during the incident; the location of the victims’ wounds was only one of a number of possible elements to a self-defense claim.
mixture
1442
7470
US report indicates broad risk of COVID-19 at wildfire camps.
Outbreaks of the coronavirus could sweep through large camps where crews typically stay as they fight wildfires across the U.S., according to a federal document obtained by The Associated Press, and the problem is likely to get worse the longer the fire season lasts.
true
1443
11632
Alternative to Statins Shows Promise
"""Headlines matter. When a story begins under the banner, """"Alternative to Statin Shows Promise,"""" it leads readers to immediately believe that an alternative exists. This drug isn’t even on the market yet. Does it hold promise? How much promise can be established in a small, 12-week trial? Why is the hyperbolic language necessary? At the same time, important data – such as how big was the effect size – was missing. It’s way too early to draw any conclusions about the drug eprotirome. The strong cautionary comments from an independent expert at the end of the story are important, but will readers be swayed by the """"promise"""" before they get to those comments?"""
false
1444
31437
A Popeye's manager in Brunswick, Georgia was caught lacing chicken with cocaine to drive business.
Channel22News is a prank news generator site, one that claims to enable social media users to play jokes on their friends. But not uncommonly, the outputs of prank news sites spread rapidly and widely in the online world, essentially turning their creators into operators of fake news sites.
false
1445
25969
Facebook post Says COVID-19 testing could be done with mouth swabs, so maybe deeper swabbing is “implanting something.”
Nasal swabs are preferred over mouth swabs as a more accurate way of testing for COVID-19. There’s no evidence nasal swabs are used for “implanting something.”
false
1446
20285
We are at a 40-year low in our crime rate in our state.
Rick Scott said Florida crime rates are at a 40-year low
true
1447
8051
'Like wartime' - Philippine doctors overwhelmed by coronavirus deluge.
Private hospitals in the Philippines capital Manila have stopped accepting coronavirus patients in the face of surging numbers of sufferers and people seeking tests, the hospitals said.
true
1448
35529
The U.S. Department of Justice issued a card that exempts holders from wearing face masks on the grounds that it poses a health risk to them due to medical conditions they aren't required to disclose by authority of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
"""What's true: The ADA requires that businesses with mandatory mask rules for customers due to COVID-19 also must accommodate people who may not be able to wear masks due to medical conditions or disabilities. In many cases individuals do not need to disclose or provide proof of those medical conditions. What's false: However, face mask """"exempt"""" cards were declared fraudulent by the U.S. Department of Justice. The FTBA, the organization mentioned on the card to “report” potential violations to, also does not appear to be officially recognized by any government agencies as an enforcing body."""
false
1449
4258
Talc verdict winner: Money can’t make up for lost health.
When Deborah Giannecchini was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer four years ago, it didn’t make sense. She had no family history, nor did she seem a high risk.
true
1450
29173
Entering the wrong PIN into a card reader will protect you against debit card fraud.
It is also unlikely, he said, that someone could have “all her bank accounts emptied” after a single transaction. While it is probable that consumers would lose some money after their banking information was compromised, most financial institutions are able to detect and flag suspiciously large or frequent transactions to prevent the draining of entire accounts.
false
1451
4794
French women demand action amid high domestic violence rate.
Sylvia. Dalila. Aminata. Céline. Julie. Their names are plastered on buildings and headlines across France, calling attention to their shared fate: Each was killed, allegedly by a current or former partner this year.
true
1452
38776
Bananas purchased at Walmart and other stores in the U.S. have been injected with HIV blood.
Beware of Bananas Injected with HIV Blood
false
1453
32429
A 12-year-old Wisconsin girl in died as a result of receiving the Gardasil HPV vaccine.
Although the autopsy results weren’t yet available when Health Impact News claimed Prohaska’s death was caused by the vaccine, neither has that page on the web site been updated to reflect the true cause of death.
false
1454
15699
U.S. police killed more people in just one month than the U.K.’s did in over a century.
"""Addicting Information said that """"U.S. police killed more people in just one month than the U.K.’s did in over a century."""" This comparison was based on an incomplete Wikipedia list. While hard figures for the number of police-related deaths in the United Kingdom over more than a century are impossible to come by, our research shows the comparison is inaccurate. It’s certainly unproven. That makes it deeply flawed, which means it’s False."""
false
1455
27942
Some symptoms of a heart attack are subtle and can be mistaken for indigestion.
A viral message lists some of the more subtle symptoms of a cardiac arrest, such as signs of indigestion.
true
1456
27992
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis hurled a no-hitter while under the influence of LSD.
An unfortunate aspect of Dock Ellis’ admission is that he is now remembered by many people (especially those too young to have seen him play during his heyday with the Pirates) as “the guy who pitched a no-hitter on drugs,” a characterization which not only slights a baseball career that included some very fine moments, but also obscures the many acts of charity and conscience in which Ellis engaged both during and after his playing days: he worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections to rehabilitate black prisoners, helped start the Black Athletes Foundation for Sickle Cell Research, and served as the coordinator of an anti-drug program in Los Angeles before passing away from liver disease in 2008.
true
1457
8081
Locked-down French Catholics mark holy mass via YouTube.
Coronavirus restrictions meant Catholic priest Guillaume Le Floc’h officiated at Wednesday evening’s mass in front of empty pews, so to make sure his flock could celebrate the holy feast of Annunciation, he had the service livestreamed on YouTube.
true
1458
1994
"""New York Earth Day celebrates with """"virtual"""" forests."""
A “virtual” forest sprouting on Times Square’s renowned billboards, 1,000 free rain barrels for gritty city backyards and a parade of clean energy vehicles including hybrid garbage trucks are all helping New Yorkers go green for Earth Day on Friday.
true
1459
11236
Antidepressants linked to major personality changes
There are a few important holes in this story. We think the story misinterpreted the study’s findings. We think any story about SSRI antidepressant medications should discuss potential harms, and this story did not. We wish the story had placed the findings in context with the broader literature in regards to effects of SSRI drugs and cognitive therapy (CT) on depressive symptoms. In the short term they appear comparable but CT takes a little longer to take effect. Longer term – some evidence suggests CT may have a longer lasting effect. Many questions have been raised about the safety and effectiveness of SSRI medications for depression. It’s not clear that this story – or the study on which it’s based – clear up many of those questions. It’s also worth noting that the question of benefit for the personality changes is in the eye of the beholder. Certainly in American culture, being more positive and outgoing is generally perceived as a good thing. But that is not necessarily true in all cultures.
mixture
1460
41871
We’ve got the cleanest country in the planet right now. There’s nobody cleaner than us.
President Donald Trump recently said “we’ve got the cleanest country in the planet right now” when it comes to “clean air” and “clean water.” Rankings compiled by researchers at Yale and Columbia universities say otherwise.
false
1461
24688
"""Sotomayor thinks """"that one’s sex, race and ethnicity ought to affect the decisions one renders from the bench."""
Sotomayor's comment about Latina women versus white men
mixture
1462
36227
Breastmilk effectively treats many conditions, including abrasions, cuts, insect bites, diaper rash, eczema, acne, and burns.
Can You Use Breastmilk Topically to Treat Various Conditions?
unproven
1463
3931
Porter County to offer genetic tests for juvenile offenders.
The juvenile court for northwestern Indiana’s Porter County is partnering with a laboratory to offer genetic testing for young offenders to help see what psychiatric medications might help them.
true
1464
10220
The promise of proton-beam therapy
This story reports on the hype, the promise and the controversies around proton beam therapy. The potential benefit of proton beam therapy is that it can accurately target deep-seated cancers without damaging surrounding tissues. For this reason it is an attractive idea for certain rare and serious tumors such as tumors of the brain or eye where surgery or conventional radiation would be very destructive. However, it is increasingly being used to treat more common cancers, such as prostate and lung cancer. Moreover, proton beam therapy is extraordinarily costly because the equipment involved requires huge investments from hospitals. Given the current economic climate in healthcare, the acceleration of this technology has raised serious questions about its cost-effectiveness and issues around access to care, given that it is currently only available in academic medical centers. This story does a good job of describing the problem of limited availability to those patients who could truly benefit from proton therapy while at the same time it is increasingly being used in cancers for which there is questionable benefit, especially prostate cancer. The story also rightly points out the limited evidence that it is any better than conventional radiation and that the low risk of side effects may be an underestimation. The story also highlights the perverse incentives to use the therapy to treat prostate cancer so that hospitals can recover their high costs of investing in the technology. However, the story could have more explicitly compared the cost of proton beam radiation to conventional radiation to give the reader a sense of the scope of the cost difference. Overall, this was a very enlightening in-depth piece about a growing concern in health care.
true
1465
31991
When the Germans ordered Jews in occupied Denmark to identify themselves by wearing armbands with yellow stars during World War II, King Christian X of Denmark and non-Jewish Danes thwarted the order by donning the armbands themselves.
The legend of non-Jewish Danes donning yellow stars in solidarity with Jews during the Nazi occupation of Denmark is a touching story but not historically accurate.
false
1466
9501
DRUG SHOWS PROMISE AGAINST VISION-ROBBING DISEASE IN SENIORS
Credit: National Eye Institute This story discusses research findings about a drug that may slow the progression of geographic atrophy, a type of macular degeneration that leads to vision loss. The story provides a careful, reader-friendly explanation of the mechanism by which lampalizumab is likely to work, and a concluding section with clear information about what can currently be done for geographic atrophy. However, the article falls short in precisely describing the method and findings of the study–and missed an important conflict of interest involving the drug company and a source. Geographic atrophy, a type of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), affects approximately one million Americans and more than 5 million people worldwide. It is characterized by gradual and irreversible vision loss. Geographic atrophy is not the most common type of AMD; neovascular macular degeneration is more prevalent. However, a number of treatment options are available for the latter, whereas no treatment is currently available for geographic atrophy. Therefore, the condition represents a critical, unmet medical need. This study indicates a possible new treatment, though the measured benefit was pretty small and it’s not clear if it helped anyone see anyone better or was worth the risk of side effects. Readers should also keep in mind that this drug is an immunotherapy–all of which are very expensive (at least until generics come along), so it’s also likely to be very expensive if it’s approved.
mixture
1467
1071
Health funding gap means 1,700 in Gaza may face amputations: U.N.
A lack of health funding in Gaza means 1,700 people shot by Israeli security forces may have to have amputations in the next two years, Jamie McGoldrick, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for occupied Palestinian territory, told reporters on Wednesday.
true
1468
41045
This new virus is not heat-resistant and will be killed by a temperature of just 26/27 degrees. It hates the Sun.
There’s no evidence for this. There’s evidence that similar viruses transmit less well in the heat, but many countries with reported Covid-19 cases are experiencing temperatures higher than this.
unproven
1469
2993
China reports 1st death from new type of coronavirus .
Health authorities in a central Chinese city on Saturday reported the country’s first death from a new type of coronavirus, as the government braced for the Lunar New Year travel boom amid concerns over a possible outbreak similar to that of the SARS virus in the early 2000s.
true
1470
3134
Mexico City plastic bag ban to take residents back in time.
For centuries, Mexico City residents brought warm tortillas home in reusable cloths or woven straw baskets, and toted others foods in conical rolls of paper, “ayate” mesh or net bags, or even string bundles.
true
1471
180
Biotech is going to the dogs - and big profits await.
For Jessica Lescault there is no question that her 6-year old English bulldog “Moose” deserves cutting-edge biotechnology cancer treatment as much as any human patient.
true
1472
31231
"""Health officials announced in June 2017 that Donald Trump's health is """"deteriorating."""
“The key thing is how any person lives with the stress,” said Gordon Lithgow, a professor of geroscience at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in California, which studies ways to increase healthspan. “Some people absolutely thrive on the edge of stress.”
false
1473
7538
Fauci warns of ‘suffering and death’ if US reopens too soon.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, is warning Congress that if the country reopens too soon during the coronavirus pandemic, it will result in “needless suffering and death.”
true
1474
7254
Nebraska eyes county facility to treat juvenile offenders.
Lancaster County officials and the state of Nebraska are discussing a way to provide intensive behavioral health services to juvenile offenders who need the help, the head of the state Health and Human Services Department said.
true
1475
33962
"""Astronaut and former NFL player Leland Melvin wrote an open letter to Donald Trump concerning the President's comments about the """"Take a Knee"""" protest."""
An open letter to President Trump addressing his comments about football players truly originated with astronaut and former NFL player Leland Melvin.
true
1476
3366
Health officials: At least 2 Idaho kids have died from flu.
Idaho state health officials say at least two children have died of influenza-related causes recently and a third child’s death is under investigation because it appears to be flu-related.
true
1477
9650
Teen Feels 'Hopeful' After Experimental Stem Cell Procedure on Damaged Heart
This is a story about one young man receiving an experimental infusion of stem cells into his heart, to help with tissue scarring due to muscular dystrophy. Despite booming research around potential stem cell treatments for a wide range of conditions, the list of diseases for which stem cell therapy has been shown to be effective remains very short, according to the International Society for Stem Cell Research. Yet media outlets often put an optimistic spin on unproven stem cell therapies, as we’ve seen in our examinations of stories on heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, severe combined immunodeficiency, and multiple sclerosis. Showcasing a few preliminary cases with encouraging outcomes can exaggerate the potential benefits of a treatment and raise false hopes for patients. This story, based on a single case with an unknown outcome, fits this pattern. It fails to counter rosy statements by a physician and a patient with realistic assessments of the potential benefits and pitfalls of an unproven procedure for a fatal disease with no known cure. The story also lacks clinical details that would help readers get a true picture of the nature of the treatment, as well as a discussion of costs. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a heartbreaking disease that affects an estimated 1 in 3,600 boys as well as some girls. The most common inherited pediatric muscle disorder, it’s caused by a shortage of a protein called dystrophin, which leads to progressive muscle weakness. Most patients lose their ability to walk by age 12, and average life expectancy is about 25. Often patients die of heart failure because dystrophin deficiency leads to cardiomyopathy, a weakness of the heart muscle that makes the heart less able to pump blood and maintain a regular rhythm. A recent review of current therapies states that “only steroids have been shown to produce a slowing in the declining course of the disease.” Recent research has focused on using stem cells and gene therapy to create new, healthy muscle cells and thus halt or reverse the disease. The rapid advance and certain fatality of Duchenne muscular dystrophy has patients and their families desperate for new treatment options. Reporters have an obligation to those families to present stories in a reasonable and responsible fashion.
false
1478
26441
Herd immunity is probably why California has far fewer COVID-19 deaths than New York.
Once a high percentage of people have been infected with a virus or vaccinated — in other words, herd immunity is achieved — spread of the virus can be stopped or greatly slowed. Despite having a population twice that of New York State, California has experienced only a fraction of the number of COVID-19 deaths. There’s no evidence herd immunity has limited coronavirus deaths in California, which adopted stay-at-home measures before New York did.
false
1479
7359
Things to Know: Face covering rules vary by jurisdiction.
Health authorities want people to wear masks or face coverings outdoors to help prevent spread of the coronavirus, but is it a hard and fast rule? It depends. Here are things to know:
true
1480
37481
The cities of Los Angeles and New York City announced that no concerts or sporting events would be held until 2021.
Did Los Angeles and NYC Announce ‘No More Concerts In 2020’?
mixture
1481
6475
Continued protection sought for medical-marijuana states.
Two members of Congress — one an Oregon Democrat and the other a California Republican — are pushing to ensure that protections against federal intervention remain for another year for 46 states, Washington DC, Guam and Puerto Rico that allow some form of medical marijuana.
true
1482
16194
According to recent reports, a group of death panels organized under Obamacare ordered their first execution.
The chain email claimed that Dorothy Zborknak was ordered executed by an Obamacare death panel. We ruled on this topic five years ago, but we’ll repeat it again:  Death squads are not a part of the Affordable Care Act, and you can still catch Dorothy on Golden Girls reruns most nights.
false
1483
36541
A Facebook post shows a huge turnout (of at least 650,000 people) at 2019's March for Life demonstration.
Does This Photograph Show the 2019 ‘March for Life’?
false
1484
6080
Legionnaires’ disease found in adjacent California prisons.
Legionnaires’ disease bacteria that killed one inmate and sickened another is more widespread than expected in a California state prison, officials said Wednesday, citing new test results.
true
1485
2990
Australian wildfire smoke stokes health fears in cities.
Fire alarms have been sounding in high-rise buildings across downtown Sydney and Melbourne as dense smoke from distant wildfires confuse electronic sensors. Modern government office blocks in the Australian capital Canberra have been closed because the air inside is too dangerous for civil servants to breathe.
true
1486
18159
"""Gilberto Hinojosa Says if Texas abortion measure passes, """"someone living in El Paso would have to drive 550 miles each way to San Antonio for something as simple as cervical cancer screening."""
Hinojosa said that if the abortion legislation passed, an El Paso resident would have to make a 550-mile trip to San Antonio for simple services like a cervical cancer screening. That’s not so; such services will continue to be available in El Paso, local experts say. This statement misses the mark so badly, it’s ridiculous. UMC-El Paso women’s health clinics Click here for addresses and contact information for the University Medical Center of El Paso Hospital’s seven Women’s Health Centers. Clinics in state Breast and Cervical Cancer Services program This state program has three main providers in El Paso -- Centro San Vicente, Project Vida and Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe -- and several satellite clinics. Click here to map such clinics across Texas. El Paso-area clinics providing health services free or at reduced cost for eligible women through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Services program.
false
1487
3497
Judge won’t compel health system to fund doctor’s defense.
A federal judge declined for now to compel a Michigan-based health system to advance legal costs for a doctor’s defense against murder charges in the deaths of 25 Ohio hospital patients.
true
1488
28707
Jellyfish and lobsters are considered biologically immortal, meaning they don’t age and will never die unless they are killed.
What's true: One species of jellyfish, Turritopsis nutricula, is considered biologically immortal as it can—and does—revert to its immature state even after reaching sexual maturity. What's false: Despite not showing the typical signs of aging during their lives, lobsters can and do die from old age.
mixture
1489
4254
Record $417M award in lawsuit linking baby powder to cancer.
A Los Angeles jury on Monday ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay a record $417 million to a hospitalized woman who claimed in a lawsuit that the talc in the company’s iconic baby powder causes ovarian cancer when applied regularly for feminine hygiene.
true
1490
11122
Preventing cancer: Study finds dramatic benefits of weight-loss surgery
The news release provides a good summary of the methods behind the study, the benefits found, and where the findings fit in the larger issue of how weight contributes to poor health. It could have been improved with an exploration of costs and the potential harms from bariatric surgery. In addition, it’s not clear that the reported results (e.g. resolution of precancerous changes in a small number of women) amounts to a “dramatic benefit” for “preventing cancer” as the headline suggests. The release would have done well to more carefully frame these cancer-related effects, which are of uncertain importance. According to the National Cancer Institute, obesity is associated with increased risk of many cancer types: esophageal, pancreatic, colorectal, breast, endometrial, kidney, thyroid, and gallbladder. In 2007, a study using NCI Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data, estimated that “in the United States, about 34,000 new cases of cancer in men (4 percent) and 50,500 in women (7 percent) were due to obesity” (2015). Their prediction model estimated that continuation of existing trends in obesity will lead to about 500,000 additional cases of cancer in the United States by 2030. This topic is important because, if there were a way to reduce the risk of cancer by means of bariatric surgery, the overall burden of disease in the US would be reduced.
mixture
1491
18990
A man using bath salts reported that raccoons had set fire inside his home and stolen his cell phone.
Mike DeWine says abuse of bath salts led man to make bizarre claim about racoons
true
1492
16056
Newly Elected Republican Senators Sign Pledge to Eliminate Food Stamp Program in 2015.
"""More than 115,000 social media users passed along a story headlined, """"Newly Elected Republican Senators Sign Pledge to Eliminate Food Stamp Program in 2015."""" But they failed to do due diligence and were snookered, since the story came from a publication that bills itself (quietly) as a """"satirical, parody website."""""""
false
1493
3899
Mental health services a concern in rural Nebraska schools.
The president of Nebraska’s public-school teachers’ union says she’s hearing concerns from rural schools about a lack of mental health services and state equalization aid.
true
1494
3455
Moroccan journalist denies charges of illegal abortion.
A judge ruled that a Moroccan journalist remain in custody after she appeared Monday in a packed courtroom on charges that she had an illegal abortion after becoming pregnant while single.
true
1495
30203
Police executing a search warrant at the home of a Bloomington, Illinois, mortician discovered 218 embalmed human penises.
This is surely not the last we’ll see of the smokey-eyed miscreant.
false
1496
16782
"""On the last night of the General Assembly, """"by 11 o'clock 95 to 98 percent of the business was done. So we really didn't have that late-night session. We were just holding on one bill."""
"""Nicholas Mattiello said that """"by 11 o'clock 95 to 98 percent of the business was done. So we really didn't have that late-night session. We were just holding on one bill."""" It's true that one issue -- Newport Grand and its associated bills -- was holding things up on the last night of the session. It's much less true that 95 percent of the business was done by 11 p.m. And Mattiello's suggestion that you shouldn't call a 4 a.m. adjournment a late-night session simply because most votes involved legislation that members had seen before strikes us as Pants On Fire ridiculous. His statement contains just enough truth -- the fact that one bill was at issue -- to escape having his slacks scorched. (If you have a claim you’d like PolitiFact Rhode Island to check, email us at [email protected] And follow us on Twitter: @politifactri.)"""
false
1497
38297
Prayer requests for a boy named Dakota who was suffering from continuous seizures and was airlifted to a hospital in Dallas made the rounds on social media in December 2016 and May 2017.
Prayer Requests for Dakota, Boy Airlifted with Repeated Seizures
unproven
1498
40332
A video from the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) television network reports on a Florida physician who is promoting the use of pure coconut oil as possible treatment for Alzheimer’s symptoms. She tells the story of helping her own husband overcome some Alzheimer’s symptoms.  
Coconut Oil May Help Alzheimer's Victims
unproven
1499
9380
For advanced lung cancer, immune therapy plus chemo prolongs survival
This story is one of two we reviewed about lung cancer immunotherapy studies presented at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting. Our other review is of TIME’s coverage. The three drugs mentioned in the story — Keytruda, Yervoy and Opdivo — are known as checkpoint inhibitors, which remove the ability of some cancer cells to hide from the immune system. This story highlights a study that showed Keydruda specifically improved survival in people diagnosed with advanced nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer. Results were discussed Monday at an American Association for Cancer Research conference in Chicago and published by the New England Journal of Medicine. The story refrains from sensational wording, attempts to quantify benefits, and offers a comment from one independent expert. However, it doesn’t discuss side effects or conflicts of interest and — most significantly — doesn’t tell us about the $150,000 annual price tag for each patient. News coverage hailing new cancer therapies should always include details such as side effects and price — particularly when they will potentially add billions of dollars to annual U.S. healthcare spending.
mixture
1500
33735
"""Singer """"Mama"""" Cass Elliot experienced an increase in her vocal range after she was hit in the head by a pipe."""
Although the “knocked in the head with a pipe” tale may not have originated as a television sitcom plot, it featured the upbeat, positive ending of one: Even the reluctant John Phillips eventually acknowledged the value of Cass Elliot’s vocal abilities and personality, and she was a key element in the tremendous popularity and success that followed as the Mamas and the Papas turned out a string of hit records in the mid-1960s.
false
1501
30694
A Chinese engineer contracted an STD after having sexual intercourse with a sex robot prototype.
This report was false. As should be obvious from contextual clues (such as the name of the putative engineer), Huzlers is a well-known satire web site with a long history of publishing fantastic fabrications. They carry a disclaimer in their article footer stating that “Huzlers.com is the most infamous fauxtire & satire entertainment website in the world.”
false
1502
9340
EXPERIMENTAL DRUG VISTUSERTIB COULD SHRINKS TUMORS IN 50% OF OVARIAN CANCER PATIENTS, STUDY SUGGESTS
This story reported on a phase 1b trial of a drug called vistusertib, which is being tested in tandem with chemotherapy on ovarian and lung cancer patients whose disease had been unresponsive to other treatments. The purpose of the trial was to establish dosing and get a preliminary look at the drug’s effectiveness. Findings were published in the Annals of Oncology. Echoing the optimistic framing of a news release, this Newsweek story focused on the fact that some patients who took their drug saw their tumors shrink, including a quote calling the findings “very encouraging.” It also overlooked discussion of potential harms and and didn’t caution readers that tumor shrinkage doesn’t necessarily lead to longer survival. Nearly half of women in the U.S. diagnosed with ovarian cancer don’t live more than five years. Targeted therapies like this one — which are designed to attack specific vulnerabilities in cancer cells — are being tested to treat cases that recur or resist standard treatment with surgery or chemotherapy. While targeted therapies are an important area of research, the public shouldn’t be oversold on early-phase trials or led to think that tumor shrinkage portends a cure.
false