TASK DEFINITION: Given a paragraph and a claim, classify it this way: If the claim contradicts the evidence present in the paragraph, classify the claim as '0'. If the claim has multiple supporting *AND* contradicting evidences, classify the claim as '1'. If the claim has supporting evidence and the paragraph is in overall favor of the claim, then classify the claim as '2'.
PROBLEM: Paragraph: An old hoax about Charles Manson being paroled that was started by a known fake news website in June 2014 resurfaced in June 2017. The rumor stems from a 2014 report that appeared at Empire News under the headline, “Charles Manson Granted Parole,” that reports Manson had been granted parole due to prison overcrowding: The ruling, issued by three judges overseeing the state’s efforts to ease the overcrowding, gives California until February 2016 to achieve their goals. But, the judges said, the state has to make elderly inmates and those with serious illnesses eligible for parole immediately. Manson, who was denied parole in April of 2012 and wasn’t scheduled for another parole hearing until 2027, was re-evaluated due to his age and health and the Parole Board recommended his parole. The site’s disclaimer, however, states that it’s content is “intended for entertainment purposes only,” meaning that its reporting should not be taken as fact. It’s not clear why Charles Manson parole rumors resurfaced in June 2017. Manson was denied parole by the California Department of Corrections in 2012 and his next parole hearing was scheduled for 2027, when Manson would be 92 years old. In January 2017, however, Manson was transferred to a hospital for treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding, and Manson’s condition was described as “serious” by family members. He had been transferred back to prison by the time the rumor resurfaced. It’s possible that parole decisions regarding the release of other former Manson Family members could have contributed to Charles Manson parole rumors resurfacing. A panel recommended the release of  a former Manson Family member named Bruce Davis who murdered musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald “Shorty” Shea in 1969. The final decision, however, will rest with California Gov. Jerry Brown, who had about five months to make a decision. the Los Angeles Times reports. Meanwhile, an appeals panel postponed a decision on wether or not to recommend the release of former Manson Family member Patricia Krenwinkel in December 2016, Fox News reports. Krenwinkel was present at the 1969 murder of Sharon Tate and four others. But regardless of developments with other members of the Manson Family, all Charles Manson parole rumors should be considered “fiction” until at least 2027, when his next hearing is scheduled. Comments Claim:  Charles Manson has been granted parole and will be released from prison. 

SOLUTION: 0

PROBLEM: Paragraph: There was no discussion of costs. Were people to begin taking B vitamins in the quantities necessary to show improvement along the lines of what has been seen in some of the studies mentioned, B vitamins could become a lifelong treatment with significant cumulative costs. The slant of the story was to question the wisdom in augmenting vitamin B intake in light of the studies failing to demonstrate benefit. The story itself, however, reported on several pieces of evidence over time rather than reporting on the results of a specific study or studies. Where it did provide numbers on benefits, it did so in a clear and cautious way. For example, it noted “a recent study in which brain atrophy (or shrinkage, which occurs in older people who are losing brain function) slowed by 30% in elderly patients with both high homocysteine levels and mild cognitive impairment who took a B vitamin pill daily for two years. Brain shrinkage occurred at a rate of about 0.75% in the people taking B vitamins in the study, compared with a rate of 1.1% per year in a group that took a placebo.” By including the actual percentages for people in both groups, the story shows the reader that the shrinkage was not dramatic to begin with and that the difference between the two groups could also be described as a 0.26 percentage point difference. The story did include information about possible side effects and harms associated with excessive consumption of B vitamins. The story provided a reasonable description of several studies in which outcomes were not changed with vitamin B supplementation. There was a useful quote by one of the researches indicating that only a minority of studies showed any indication of benefit from increasing vitamin B intake. We wish it had taken a little more care in making clear distinctions between the different populations being studied. In some cases, the studies were focused on anyone of advanced age, while in others they were focused specifically on Alzheimer’s patients, but there was no discussion in the story about whether these differences may also have accounted for the different findings among the studies. The story did not engage in disease mongering. The story detailed several studies of the relation between the B vitamins and cognitive impairment; it included quotes from two researchers  (Haan and Miller) in the field who are at different institutions but have several studies that they have worked on and published together. There was no discussion of how the fortification of common foods in the supply chain, such as grains, flour, cereal, energy bars and drinks, has affected the levels of B vitamin. There was also no mention of other specific therapies to stop cognitive decline. The story described the urge to rush out and purchase B vitamins, which is suggestive of their ready availability. The story neglected to mention that many foods are already fortified with B vitamins, which may already cover the recommended intake levels for many readers. This story provided a nice overview of what is known about B vitamins in relation to age- and disease- related cognitive decline. The story does not appear to rely solely on a news release. It is not clear why this information about the long-term research interest of two local scientists is news right now, but it is an interesting piece nonetheless. Claim: Vitamin B and its role in improving memory

SOLUTION: 2

PROBLEM: Paragraph: Once the captain announced their vessel may be tainted with coronavirus, Grand Princess cruise ship guests like Kathleen Reid were left with little to do but contemplate the prospect of extended isolation at sea, or worse. “My first reaction was, ‘Oh, crap. We’re going to be quarantined, and maybe get sick,’” Reid, 67, a retiree from Granbury, Texas said. “We don’t know what’s happening, so we’re just kind of in limbo, waiting.”  Reid, who spoke to Reuters by cell phone on Thursday, was one of some 2,300 passengers stuck with about 1,100 crew members aboard the Grand Princess, idled off the coast of California a day after the ship was denied entry to its home port in San Francisco. Like the Diamond Princess, the liner held in quarantine off Japan last month, the Grand Princess is owned by a unit of Carnival Corp, the world’s largest cruise operator. Experts have criticized Japanese bureaucrats’ handling of the onboard quarantine, as ultimately about 700 people were infected and six have died in what was at the time the largest concentration of coronavirus cases outside China. California Governor Gavin Newsom insisted that the Grand Princess remain at sea until passengers and crew complaining of flu-like symptoms during a 15-day roundtrip cruise to Hawaii could be tested for possible coronavirus infection. On Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard airlifted a batch of diagnostic kits to the ship via helicopter, and public health officials said samples collected would be flown back to a San Francisco Bay Area state laboratory for testing. Results were expected in about 24 hours, said Mary Ellen Carroll, executive director of the city’s Department of Emergency Management. State and local officials acted after learning that 35 people aboard the ship had fallen ill, and that two passengers who had traveled on the same vessel for a voyage last month between San Francisco and Mexico later tested positive for coronavirus. One, an elderly man from Placer County near Sacramento with underlying health conditions, died this week, marking the first documented coronavirus fatality in California. The other, from the Bay area, was described by Newsom as gravely sick. Health officials say both individuals likely contracted the virus while they were aboard the ocean liner. The Princess cruise line said fewer than 100 passengers and crew from the Hawaii voyage of its Grand Princess have been identified for testing, including those who were ill.  Tests will also be given to dozens of holdover passengers from the Mexico trip who stayed on the ship for the voyage to Hawaii, as well as “guests currently under care for respiratory illness,” the cruise line said in a statement. They will remain quarantined on the ship until cleared by medical staff. Specialists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were working with local health authorities and the Coast Guard to coordinate the operation. They also were seeking to contact some 2,500 passengers who disembarked in San Francisco on Feb. 21 after the earlier cruise to Mexico. One of them, a Canadian woman from the province of Alberta, tested positive for the virus this week, health officials there said. Princess Cruises has canceled the next scheduled departure of its Grand Princess Hawaii voyage from San Francisco, which had been set for March 7. Passengers on the current cruise, meanwhile, were forced to make do with a rapidly shrinking choice of amusements. Having already lost access to many of the ship’s favorite attractions - the bar, casino, shops, food buffet and gym - guests were also urged to practice “social distancing,” making an effort to keep at least 6 feet away from strangers on the ship, the company said. By midday on Thursday, they were asked to confine themselves to their staterooms until further notice. It was unclear what would occur should anyone now aboard the ship test positive for the respiratory virus, which has infected more than 95,000 people worldwide, most of them in China, where the outbreak originated. “Once we have results from the tests, the CDC and the state will determine the most appropriate location for the ship to berth, and the location needs to provide for the safety of the surrounding community as well as the passengers and crew,” Carroll told reporters on Thursday. She said the ship might be directed to an arrival point other than San Francisco. Reid, who is traveling with her husband, said the ship’s captain was keeping passengers informed of developments throughout the day with announcements every couple of hours, and that fellow guests seemed to be taking the uncertainty mostly in stride. “People are, I’m sure, a little anxious, but nobody has just gone screaming mad yet,” Reid said, adding she had seen no obvious signs of anyone being sick. “Hand-washing is a big deal,” she said, but “nobody is walking around sneezing or coughing.” Claim: Cruise ship passengers 'in limbo' off San Francisco awaiting coronavirus tests.

SOLUTION:
2

