TASK DEFINITION: Generate an explanation for the given claim using the provided supporting material from the paragraph. Please consider the following points while generating an output. 1) The claim will always have supporting proof in the paragraph, and the paragraph will have a clear point of view supporting the claim. 2) There can be instances where direct correlation to the claim is not available. Make use of the sentences in the paragraph to provide a corresponding output supporting the claim. 3) The explanation should be at least one and at most twelve sentences long.
PROBLEM: Paragraph: The measure, which was the last bill taken up by the chamber before a key floor deadline Wednesday, passed on a 28-21 vote. It now heads to the House for consideration. Several groups would be included in the work group, including the public, community health advocates, businesses, health care providers, and state officials. The group would be tasked with determining how best to implement universal health care, and studying options for increasing coverage and access, options to expand health care purchasing in collaboration with neighboring states, and options on how to pay for such a system. The group would report its recommendations to the Legislature by Nov. 15, 2020. Claim: Washington Senate approves universal health care work group.

SOLUTION: The Washington Senate has passed a bill that would create a work group to study how universal health care could work in the state.

PROBLEM: Paragraph: The Boston Public Health Commission and Mayor Marty Walsh announced the two cases on Wednesday. Officials say both cases have been associated with daycare centers specializing in serving children experiencing homelessness. It is not known if the two cases are connected. The disease is highly infectious and can lead to meningitis, an infection of the brain and spinal cord. According to the commission, the disease is spread through saliva and requires close contact. Any people known to have been in close contact with the children have received antibiotics. The last day either child was at one of the centers was Friday. Claim: 2 cases of meningococcal disease detected in Boston.

SOLUTION: Two young children in Boston have been diagnosed with meningococcal disease.

PROBLEM: Paragraph: Not applicable. Costs were not discussed, which is understandable at this early stage of research which the story emphasized. Adequate explanation of the results from a tiny study. There was no discussion of potential harms. The story could have at least emphasized that not much can be known about potential harms after such a small, short-term study. The human trial was under-powered to detect harm. At the same time BCG vaccine has been around for a long time and has been widely used throughout the world, so there is data on the known side effects and complications of the vaccine. At the same time, this is a new use and larger trials and post marketing surveillance will be needed before the potential harms are known. The story did an excellent job evaluating the quality of the evidence and providing readers with an explanation of  how “the findings contradict an essential paradigm of diabetes therapy.” No disease-mongering of Type I diabetes. Good sourcing, with two independent expert comments. The philanthropic funding source for the work was also mentioned. The story offered this solid context: “The findings contradict an essential paradigm of diabetes therapy — that once the insulin-secreting beta cells of the pancreas have been destroyed, they are gone forever. Because of that belief, most research today focuses on using vaccines to prevent the cells’ destruction in the first place, or on using beta cell transplants to replace the destroyed cells. The new findings, however, hint that even in patients with long-standing diabetes, the body retains the potential to restore pancreas function if clinicians can only block the parts of the immune system that are killing the beta cells.” The story clearly explained the experimental nature of the research. The story did a good job on this criterion, estabiishing the relative novelty of the work while explaining that there has been related animal research. It’s clear the story did not rely on a news release. Claim: Research shows promise in reversing Type 1 diabetes

SOLUTION:
Responsible reporting of a promising, but very preliminary finding in diabetes research. The caveats and context were all there. Nice job. As one of the independent experts was quoted saying, ” If this is reproducible and correct, it could be a phenomenal finding.”  The story emphasized that this is still a big IF.