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: As the search continues for the final two missing bodies from Monday’s deadly eruption, Law knows it will be challenging for his business, Kahu Helicopters. Some of his seven staff, including three pilots, could lose their jobs. “We’re going to be greatly affected, we’re anticipating probably damn near shutting the doors. It’s going to be devastating, we’ve been operating that part of our business for years,” he said. Law is not alone worrying about his future in Whakatane, a picturesque town of 35,000 of the shore of the Bay of Plenty that is the main access point to the volcanic island. Anne Tolley, the local member of parliament, said the town was shattered by the disaster and its thoughts were with the victims, but hoped that tours would one day restart. “It is iconic and it is certainly is the centerpiece of the town’s tourism. We also have fantastic beaches and walks and the kiwi, but Whakaari, you will have seen all the signs, we are the gateway to Whakaari,” Tolley told Reuters, using the Māori name for the volcano. Daily tours had taken more than 10,000 visitors every year to privately owned island 50km (30 miles) off the coast. Tours to the island were part of Whakatane’s history, and operators had been gearing up for the peak Christmas holiday season before Monday’s disaster, Tolley said. “It’s very difficult coming at probably the busiest time of year for them. It will be devastating.”  On Monday, the 48-year-old Law had quickly organized three other pilots to fly out to the island, where they picked up 10 badly burned people and flew them back to Whakatane’s hospital. Law and his team tried to fly back to the island to recover the bodies of those they knew had died, but were “tremendously disappointed” to be stopped by police. After initially being sidelined from police operations, by mid-week Law was sharing his knowledge of the volcano’s terrain and environment with the military squad that on Friday retrieved six of the eight bodies left behind. On the weekend, the search continued for the remaining bodies. “At the end of the day people on the ground generally know and it is important… to weave into the plan the effort of the local people,” Law told Reuters. Shock had ripped through Whakatane at the eruption, with the local hospital overwhelmed as dozens of seriously injured people were delivered from the island. Whakatane’s tourism sector had been growing strongly with the unique marine volcano at its heart, but with the prospect that people may be reluctant to visit the island even if it is reopened, immediate prospects will be challenging. As the recovery mission on Friday played out, Boz Te Moana, 24, and Michael Mika, 28, waited to support their community gathered in the indigenous Māori marae, or meeting ground. The two, who had traveled from their homes further up the Whakatane River, hoped in time tours to the waters around the island would be allowed again but tourists should not step foot on it again, out of respect for the dead, they said. “I don’t know if the mamae or the hurt will ever change, but the environment, it’s up to the town itself to move forward from here in the most positive way,” said Te Moana, using the Māori word for pain. Claim: Spiriva as good as Serevent in asthma study

SOLUTION: 1

PROBLEM: Paragraph: No mention of possible costs for leptin; no mention of costs of other methods of weight maintenance. The story presented as a benefit that leptin increased number of calories used during low level activity. But it fails to mention that at higher levels of energy expenditure, this effect was not observed. No mention of any possible harms. What, if anything, happened after the study subjects stopped receiving leptin injections? The piece does inform the reader that this was a study that examined too few people and that the 10 weeks was too short a time period to determine whether continuous leptin injection was a feasible way to keep weight off. Weight loss is framed as starvation. The study this piece was based on fed the study subjects 800 kcal/day which is more akin to starvation than dieting. It makes the piece less relevant to the dieting process. The story provided a quote only from the lead investigator of the study; the story includes no input from any other independent source. No mention of any other weight loss maintenance methods. Doesn’t mention that there is no FDA approval for the use of leptin in maintenance of weight loss. Doesn’t mention that leptin is a purely experimental treatment – a hormone discovered in 1969. Claim: Fat Hormone May Trick the Body to Help It Keep Extra Pounds Off

SOLUTION: 0

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