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FMD1600 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Has Biden made a promise to get rid of the 'Stepped-Up' Basis for Capital Gains Tax? Claim summaries: For once, a viral Facebook post critical of a politician accurately articulated their past pronouncements.
contextual information: In early 2021, readers asked Snopes to examine the accuracy of a widely shared social media post that purported to describe U.S. President Joe Biden's intention to eliminate a piece of tax law that allows taxpayers to benefit from selling a home inherited from their parents. The post, which was critical of Biden and the supposed plan, first emerged during the 2020 presidential election campaign but regained prominence after Biden was inaugurated in January 2021. It typically read as follows: "Did you know Biden wants to get rid of something called 'stepped-up basis'? How does this affect you? When your parents pass and leave you the family house, normally you would inherit that property at its current value. If you were to sell that house, you would only pay taxes on the gain from its current value and what it sells for. If Biden does away with 'stepped-up basis,' you will inherit the property for what your parents paid for it. If you decide to sell, you will pay taxes on the difference between the original purchase price and what it sells for today. Here is what this looks like:
Current Policy
Inherited House at Current Value - $200,000
Sells for $205,000
Taxable income = $5,000
Taxes Due - 20% of $5,000 = $1,000
Profit to you = $204,000
Biden Policy
Inherited House at Original Purchase Price - $40,000
Sells for $205,000
Taxable income = $165,000
Taxes Due - 20% of $165,000 = $33,000
Profit to you = $172,000
If your parents had sold this property prior to passing, they would have paid no taxes because it was their primary residence. So much for helping the middle class get ahead. My educated guess would be that at least 95% of Americans don’t even know Biden has proposed this. We are talking tens of thousands of additional tax dollars for the average person after inheritance! Wow, Google 'Biden stepped-up basis' and educate yourself because this is significant! Please share!
The viral post accurately stated that Biden proposed getting rid of the 'stepped-up' basis for capital gains tax and correctly explained the potential practical consequences for an individual taxpayer who inherits a home. In fact, the tax burden for wealthier individuals would be even greater than the post stated, because Biden has also proposed doubling the rate of long-term capital gains tax for those with income over $1 million.
Here's how the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office describes the stepped-up basis for capital gains tax, which is the tax due on profits from the sale of an asset, such as shares or property: When people sell an asset for more than the price they paid for it, they realize a net capital gain. The net gain is typically calculated as the sale price minus the asset's adjusted basis—generally the original purchase price adjusted for improvements or depreciation. To calculate the gains on inherited assets, taxpayers generally use the asset's fair-market value at the time of the owner's death, often referred to as stepped-up basis, instead of the adjusted basis derived from the asset's value when the decedent initially acquired it. When the heir sells the asset, capital gains taxes are assessed only on the change in the asset's value relative to the stepped-up basis. As a result, any appreciation in value that occurred while the decedent owned the asset is not included in taxable income and therefore is not subject to the capital gains tax.
In 2015, then-President Barack Obama also proposed eliminating the stepped-up basis. Here's his administration's explanation of how it works: Suppose an individual leaves stock worth $50 million to an heir, who immediately sells it. When purchased, the stock was worth $10 million, so the capital gain is $40 million. However, the heir's basis in the stock is stepped up to the $50 million gain when he inherited it, so no income tax is due on the sale, nor ever due on the $40 million of gain. Each year, hundreds of billions in capital gains avoid tax as a result of the stepped-up basis.
During the 2020 presidential election, Biden and his campaign repeatedly expressed his intention to eliminate the stepped-up basis. As first highlighted by Politifact, the Biden campaign presented the proposal as a partial way to pay for its proposed student loan reforms. In October 2019, ABC News reported that the plan makes official several policies the former vice president often discusses on the trail about student debt. Biden's policy includes his plan for reducing student loan debt obligations for students who enter the public service sector, allowing $10,000 of undergraduate or graduate debt relief per year for up to five years of service. Biden would also double the maximum amount of Pell grants available to students, including Dreamers, and would allow students making less than $25,000 a year to defer payments on their federal loans without accruing interest. Any student making more than $25,000 would pay 5% of their discretionary income toward their loans rather than the current 10% owed. The plan would be funded through the elimination of the stepped-up basis loophole, a type of break on inheritance taxes, and capping itemized deductions for wealthy Americans at 28%, according to the campaign.
In June 2020, according to CNBC, Biden told potential donors: "I'm going to get rid of the bulk of Trump's $2 trillion tax cut, and a lot of you may not like that, but I'm going to close loopholes like capital gains and stepped-up basis." On the Biden-Harris campaign's website, a Spanish-language document outlining the campaign's plans for education reforms stated (translated): "The Biden plan for post-secondary education is a $750 billion investment over 10 years, aimed at developing a stronger and more inclusive middle class. It will be paid for by ensuring the super-rich pay their fair share. Specifically, this plan will be funded by eliminating the gap in our tax law known as the 'Stepped-up Basis Loophole' as well as reducing the itemized deductions that the richest Americans can make to 28%."
Elsewhere, the Biden campaign proposed not only eliminating the stepped-up basis but also doubling the tax rate for long-term capital gains—that is, profits from the sale of an asset owned for more than one year—for relatively wealthy taxpayers. Here's what the Biden-Harris campaign website stated, as part of the campaign's healthcare plan: "As President, Biden will make healthcare a right by getting rid of capital gains tax loopholes for the super wealthy. Today, the very wealthy pay a tax rate of just 20% on long-term capital gains... As President, Biden will roll back the Trump rate cut for the very wealthy and restore the 39.6% top rate he helped restore when he negotiated an end to the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy in 2012. Biden's capital gains reform will close the loopholes that allow the super wealthy to avoid taxes on capital gains altogether. Biden will ensure that those making over $1 million will pay the top rate on capital gains, doubling the capital gains tax rate on the super wealthy."
The Facebook post shared widely in late 2020 and early 2021 accurately described Biden's stated intention to eliminate the stepped-up basis for capital gains tax, a move that would indeed increase the tax burden on an individual who inherits a piece of property from their parents before selling it. The tax burden for wealthier taxpayers would be even greater than the Facebook post outlined, since Biden has also proposed increasing the rate of long-term capital gains tax for those with an income above $1 million. The Facebook post did not mention that Biden had stipulated he would use the money raised from eliminating the stepped-up basis to help pay for his healthcare and education plans. Snopes contacted the White House to ask whether the Biden administration still intended to push for the elimination of the stepped-up basis, but we did not receive a response in time for publication. | 1 | [
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FMD1601 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Mayor Barrett saved Milwaukee $25 million, thanks to Gov. Walkers reforms.
contextual information: Those billboards around Milwaukee featuring Mayor Tom Barretts mug and a claim he saved Milwaukee $25 million are clever if you slow down to read the punch line.If you can do it without driving your car into an embankment, youll see theyare sponsored by the conservative Wisconsin Club for Growth and give credit to Barretts once -- and possibly future -- gubernatorial rival, Scott Walker, for making the savings possible.Barrett, the signs smaller print says, got the savings thanks to Gov. Scott Walkers reforms.The billboards hit on a theme voters undoubtedly will hear over and over from Republicans if Barrett takes on Walker in a possible recall election in 2012.The billboards refer to Walkers controversial budget legislation that took health care and pensions out of collective bargaining for most public employees.That allowed local governments and schools to impose cost-sharing for those benefits instead of negotiating with labor leaders.Barretts campaign, reacting tothead, denounced it as completely off base,in a statement toWTMJ4that said: The only thing accurate about that billboard is the picture of Tom Barrett.Whats the truth?Club for Growth didnt respond, but the Journal Sentinel reported in August that the city of Milwaukee will indeed save $25 million in 2012 just on health care costs, in large part by asking employees to pay more.In fact, Barretts budget document said revisions to the citys health insurance -- the ones made easier by Walkers changes -- would help drive overall health care costs down for the first time in more than 20 years.We contacted the same Milwaukee budget official quoted in August 2011, and he told us the city still expects a $25 million drop in health costs.Case closed?The official, city economist Dennis Yaccarino, says the $25 million actually overstates savings related to the Walker budget alone. He said city officials didnt make that clear in early August when a Journal Sentinel reporter first got the number from the city and published the $25 million figure in the context of Walkers changes. Thatstoryran Aug. 8, 2011.The newspaper followed upAugust 21, 2011, quoting city officials saying $6 million of that savings number was from the citys own decision to switch from an insured HMO to a self-funded approach due to projected cost savings. The $6 million switch is noted that way in Barretts budget.The move, we should note, was negotiated with the citys largest union two years ago but was not put in place until now for reasons unrelated to the state budget, according to Yaccarino and Richard Abelson, executive director of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, which represents general city employees.Yaccarino said the city calculated in 2011 that it was paying a profit to its carrier and could keep the money for itself by going self insured. That scenario had not existed until 2011, hence the delay, he said.So that leaves $19 million of savings for Milwaukee from Walkers original budget plan and the amended one he signed, right?Not exactly.Remember, the $25 million figure is just on the health care costs side fo the equation. What about public employees paying more in pension costs? Thats the second part of Walkers limits on collective bargaining over benefits. Milwaukee didnt put them in place due to questions about the legality of the state changes as they apply to Milwaukee. So thats a 0.Finally, city official note Walkers overall budget cut municipal aid, leaving the net savings to the city much reduced from $19 million.But the billboard refers to Walkers reforms, which is the changes tied to the collective bargaining issue. It is making a narrower claim, on how much was saved from the reforms, not how the city fared overall.Our conclusionBillboards say Walkers reforms allowed Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to save $25 million for the city.The city is that much ahead, but a portion was Barretts doing before Walkers budget was enacted.We rate the claim Mostly True. | 1 | [
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FMD1602 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Opinion: Economics is a Form of Brain Damage 10/27/2016
UPLIFT CONNECT
Economics is Not a Science and is Not Based in the Real World
In today’s world, economics is king. Everyone’s talking money and economy, yet none of it is actually even real.
Award winning scientist, author, environmental activist, broadcaster, and geneticist, David Suzuki, gives us the thought provoking truth about economics.
“Economics is not a science – it doesn’t even include the earth in its equations. Economics is not based in anything like the real world.”
“Money now grows faster than the real world and economics is so fundamentally disconnected from the real world that it is destructive.”
Here David Suzuki explains how conventional economics is a form of brain damage. | 0 | [
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] | 0 |
FMD1603 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Donald Trump has watched from the stage as his rabid supporters have brutally assaulted the people who come out to protest him. Oftentimes, he even urges them on whipping his followers into a violent frenzy with unfounded accusations that the protesters are working for ISIS or were sent by Bernie Sanders and deserve it. After this week saw nearly every Trump rally end in assaults and racial and ethnic slurs, the question turned from Will someone be killed at a Trump rally? to When? Trump has done absolutely nothing to tone down the rhetoric. In fact, he s stepped it up. Lately, he s begun using his supporters as a personal goon squad. When he accused Bernie Sanders fans of forcing him to cancel his rally in Chicago, he threatened to send them out to harass Sanders supporters. The supporters themselves seem downright eager to oblige this call to violence. The only thing missing are literal brown shirts.This again came to a head, this time in North Carolina, where Trump rallies in Concord and Fayetteville. In one disturbing, but not uncommon, incident, a black man was attacked as the crowd roared. A cowboy hat-wearing Trump superfan beamed as he told reporters that he was proud for sucker punching an African American protester as he was being escorted out. He was eventually charged with assault, but not before vowing to kill the man if he ever saw him again.Trump doubled-down on his claim that these protesters were bad people and possibly ISIS terrorists. He then encouraged his followers to be more violent when faced with protesters, again saying they were bad and deserved it. His supporters in the media also parroted this call to violence.I would like to see a little more violence from the innocent Trump supporters set upon by violent leftist hoodlums. Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) March 13, 2016But North Carolina authorities are now coming out strongly against Trump attempting to turn their state into a breeding ground for fascism. Following the violent rally, the Cumberland County Sheriff s Office announced that it would be looking into charging Donald Trump the current Republican front-runner for President of the United States by a wide margin with inciting a riot.JUST IN: North Carolina police considering filing charges against Trump for potentially inciting a riot https://t.co/gQjG8N6tXP MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 14, 2016A look at North Carolina s law against inciting a riot shows that Trump appears to check all the boxes. It s a wonder he hasn t been charged yet.Here's North Carolina riot law. pic.twitter.com/z9KpRPhcwH Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) March 14, 2016For the protesters who brave a Trump rally, the fact that the man on stage is using a microphone to actually call for the thousands of supporters in attendance to verbally or physically attack him or her, the clear and present danger is real. And this isn t just a thought exercise. People have been repeatedly hurt trying to escape the events. One man was pushed down and kicked. Another was elbowed in the face. Even reporters have faced violence. A TIME photographer was choke-slammed by Trump s Secret Service agent. A former Breitbart reporter was thrown to the ground by Trump s campaign manager, leaving bruises on her arm from where he grabbed her. The list goes on When Trump comes to town, you can count on two things happening: The racists crawling out of the woodwork waving Trump flags and violence directed at the people who oppose Trump. That s not a way to run a democracy. If authorities don t begin to stand up to Trump s calls for violence with criminal charges, the chances of a deadly incident happening are nearly total.The authorities in North Carolina caution that they may not charge Trump, however. Unfortunately, inciting a riot is known in legal circles as being notoriously difficult to prove, given how vague its language is. Trump will no doubt respond with an army of lawyers to descend on North Carolina should he find himself charged, so it is clearly making the sheriff s office gun shy. In a statement, they said they were looking into but won t make an official decision until after they ve run down a few more leads.Featured image via WRAL | 0 | [
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] | 0 |
FMD1604 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: The chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday introduced a bill to fund the government until Jan. 19 while Congress works on longer-term legislation, the panel said in a statement. The bill unveiled by Republican Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen would fully fund national defense programs for the entire 2018 fiscal year and includes money for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the statement said. Congress must pass a funding bill by Dec. 23 to prevent a partial government shutdown. | 1 | [
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FMD1605 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: EMAIL US: [email protected] Home › MEDIA › 65 PRESSTITUTES WHO COLLUDED WITH THE CLINTONS TO DEFRAUD AMERICA AND STEAL THE ELECTION… CALL FOR THEIR ARREST 65 PRESSTITUTES WHO COLLUDED WITH THE CLINTONS TO DEFRAUD AMERICA AND STEAL THE ELECTION… CALL FOR THEIR ARREST 0 SHARES
[10/28/16] MIKE ADAMS -To even call this 2016 president election an “election” is a cruel joke. Democracy is supposed to be about open, fair and free elections, and those elections must be predicated on open, fair and free access to information so that voters can make an informed decision. Yet all we have today is a media that’s in the tank for Hillary, a justice system infiltrated by deep state corruption, a voting system rife with leftist fraud, a culture of extremist, violent intimidation of those who oppose Clinton and an Obama regime steeped in such criminality and fraud that it actively encourages illegal aliens to run across the border to America so they can vote.
This isn’t an election… it’s a coordinated leftist coup d’etat .
The aim of the coup is to occupy all the positions of power in America with radical leftists, communists and criminal democrat party loyalists. From those positions of power, the strategy is to systematically dismantle the American Constitution, Bill of Rights and Supreme Court while crushing the American middle class with punitive economic policies that keep the masses trapped in poverty (Obamacare, anyone?).
It’s now abundantly obvious to nearly every thinking person that democracy has been ripped to shreds in America , and the deep state criminal regime in power exists solely to protect and enrich itself at the expense of everyone else.
GONE is the idea of representing the interests of the People.
GONE is any desire for government to operate with transparency and accountability.
GONE is any trust in voters by the powerful elite, who distrust the voters so much that they make sure every election is rigged in advance.
GONE is any economic policy rooted in sanity or mathematics. Now, numbers and dollars from Washington are all rooted in mental illness and delusion.
GONE is any semblance of the concept that justice is blind and that all laws apply to all the people just the same, no matter how powerful they may be.
GONE is any public trust in ANY institution of government, from Congress, to the federal courts, to the regulators like the EPA, to even the FBI.
GONE is any notion that the government should defend the nation’s borders and control the flow of immigrants into the country for all the obvious reasons.
And GONE is any concept of journalistic integrity across the mainstream media, an institution that now holds actual journalism in contempt (i.e. the work of Wikileaks or Project Veritas). Now, the media insists that no one question the government, no transparency is necessary, and government operatives have no obligation to explain any of their actions or cover-ups. Richard Nixon is rolling in his grave… The illusion of democracy
Thanks to the complete abandonment of democracy and honest government in America, We the People now wake up each day as slaves living in a totalitarian dictatorship pretending to be a democracy , complete with a pretend press, a pretend judicial system, a pretend legislative branch and even a pretend central bank pumping out pretend currency.
We turn on our televisions to watch pretend journalists named “Stephanopoulos” churn out pretend news that pretends Bill and Hillary Clinton are honest, affectionate, trustworthy elders instead of the phony frauds and crooks they’ve really turned out to be. And then we’re blasted with pretend polls that claim the most unpopular woman in America — Hillary Clinton — is somehow ahead of Donald Trump by 12 points. Nobody believes the polls anymore…
Every time REAL news breaks through the surface, the establishment tells us that’s all fake. Wikileaks emails, we’re ridiculously told, aren’t real (even though they are). Project Veritas videos have been “edited,” we’re told, as if that somehow negates the very clear words caught on video as they are uttered by Clinton operatives committing serious crimes. The only news that’s “real,” we’re told, is the fabricated fake news planted in the New York Times by the Clinton campaign. A call to arrest and imprison the presstitutes that are defrauding America and destroying democracy
In truth, the leftist media is staffed by presstitutes — media whores who have sold out to the Clintons in exchange for “access” to her bogus news releases (i.e. planted false narratives). As reported by The Free Thought Project , all the following “journalists” are seditious whores who should no doubt be arrested, indicted and prosecuted for engaging in criminal collusion and racketeering with the Clintons:
“Progressive Helpers” | 0 | [
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FMD1606 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Wisconsin is below the national average in wage growth and job growth.
contextual information: Five days after Scott Walker won re-election by a five-point margin, inciting speculation about whether hell run for president in 2016, the Republican governor appeared on NBCs Meet the Press. Several minutes into the Nov. 9, 2014show, Walker was asked by host Chuck Todd about Wisconsins economic record and whether it is something that translates nationally. Walker responded with statistics about how jobs have increased during his first term and unemployment has decreased. (He also went on tomake a number of claimsthat weve previously fact-checked). Todd interjected by returning to the national perspectiveand making a claim of his own. But Ive got to show you, he told Walker, as agraphic with figuresappeared on the screen, compared to the national average, when it comes to wage growth, it's below the national average, Wisconsin is. When it comes to job growth, it's below the national average. How Wisconsin's economy compares nationally could bear on Walkers viability as a presidential contender, a prospecthe has readily encouraged. So lets check both sets of figures. Federal statistics The graphic that flashed on the screen cited figures from the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages report, which compared March 2013 to March 2014. On job growth, the Meet the Press graphic said Wisconsins rate from increased 1 percent, less than the national average of 1.7 percent. The so-called QCEW numbers are considered the most accurate source for jobs numbers, but lag behind real time by six to nine months. The graphic quoted the figures accurately, according to anews releasefrom the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Walkers office didnt dispute this part of Todds claim, but said most states had job growth during the period that was at or below the national average. The graphic also accurately cited the average changes in wage growth from March 2013 to March 2014 -- 2.9 percent in Wisconsin, which was behind the national average of 3.8 percent. It doesnt affect the accuracy of Todds statement, but we decided to use theBureau of Labor Statistics databaseto take a longer view on both job and wage growth to see how Wisconsin and the United States have compared during Walkers nearly four years as governor. The quarterly time frames dont match up precisely with Walkers time in office because, as we noted, there is a lag of several months in reporting the figures. But when compared March 2011 to March 2014, and December 2010 to December 2013, the results were essentially the same: Wisconsin has lagged the national average on job growth, but was slightly higher on wage growth. Our rating Citing statistics for the most recent year, Todd said Wisconsin is below the national average in wage growth and job growth. The latest federal figures, comparing March 2013 to March 2014, show Wisconsins job growth rate at 1 percent, below the national average of 1.7 percent, and its wage growth rate at 2.9 percent, behind the national average of 3.8 percent. We rate Todds statement True. | 1 | [
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] | 1 |
FMD1607 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Was a Pixie Skeleton Discovered in the Rocky Mountains? Claim summaries: A convincing depiction of a pixie skeleton had some social media users curious about real-life fairies.
contextual information: An image supposedly showing a pixie skeleton is frequently shared online along with the claim that the strange remains were found in the Rocky Mountains and that "scientific tests" had concluded the bones were authentic: shared James Cornan of Wilmington, North Carolina, claims to have discovered the remains of a pixie in a falcons nest while exploring the Rocky Mountains in 2017. Scientific tests have concluded the bones are indeed real. Although these skeletal remains may appear to be realistic, this image doesn't show a deceased pixie discovered in the Rocky Mountains. This photograph was originally shared on the website of Dan Baines, an artist whose work centers around mythological creatures and folklore artifacts. Baines, who was responsible for a similar hoax back in 2007 about a "dead fairy," describes himself as a "full time artist and blogger on fairy folklore" on his Twitter profile and states on his website that he incorporates "forgotten folklore, grim historical events and facets of the paranormal and occult into his work." hoax Twitter The "pixie skeleton" image was posted to Baines' website in February 2017 along with a story that offered the artistic artifact as a genuine discovery. At the time, the images were presented as if this pixie skeleton had been discovered in England: story Could these shocking images finally be proof of the existence of pixies and fairies? Hosts of The Mystic Menagerie, a UK based podcast were puzzled when a regular listener sent in a series of images he claims were found in a protected bird of prey next in Cornwall. In a 2018 update, Baines stated that the "pixie bones now reside in a secure facility in Germany where biological specimens that defy conventional science are stored." We reached out to Baines for more information about this pixie skeleton and the German facility reportedly holding its remains. stated While Baines has yet to admit that he created this convincing artwork, his statement from 2007 about a similar fairy hoax bears repeating: statement Even if you believe in fairies, as I personally do, there will always have been an element of doubt in your mind that would suggest the remains are a hoax. However, the magic created by the possibility of the fairy being real is something you will remember for the rest of your life. Alas the fairy is fake but my interest and belief has allowed me to create a work of art that is convincing and magical. I was also interested to see if fairy folklore is still a valid belief in modern society and I am pleased to say that yes it is! I have had more response from believers than I ever thought possible. Baines, Dan. "Disturbing Discovery of Pixie found in Falcon Nest."
Danbaines.com. 24 February 2017. Baines, Dan. "Pixie Skeleton Mystery Reappears in the US."
Danbaines.com. 10 February 2018. | 0 | [
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FMD1608 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: 3709 Views November 15, 2016 25 Comments SITREPs Scott
First, I wish to congratulate the president elect of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump. I can only imagine what this gentleman has gone through in this election cycle and this does not address the vitriol poured on his wife and children during the media attack, and that is exactly what it was and is, a concerted and ongoing news media and blog attack on Mr. Trump and his entire family.
With Mr. Trump’s stunning, in view of The Media and the current power structure in USA, victory in the election the taps were opened to maximum output and the vitriol and attacks intensified dramatically. In the words of one commenter I know, with Mr. Trump’s election ‘the light was suddenly turned on in a dirty kitchen and the cockroaches scattered in all directions’. In my opinion that is a pretty good analogy for the cockroaches infesting the government in USA and EU et al are screaming bloody murder and calling Mr. Trump every name in the book and whining about the end of the world as they knew it. That, my friends, is an even better analogy, ‘the end of the world as they knew it’.
I’ve been on this rock for a long time. I grew up and was educated in a different time that seems eons from today. I left home the moment I turned eighteen, after all I knew far more about the world and life than that foolish old man who raised me, who kept me fed well and warm in winter and who had no qualms about knocking the puppy snot out of my when I deserved it which was not infrequent. We did not lock our doors when we left home for Church, for shopping and other errands and in fact we did not have a key for the back door. No one in the eighteen years I lived in that farmhouse ever bothered anything. We left the tractors in the fields at day’s end, all of us riding back to the barn on one tractor. No one bothered the machines, no one stole diesel or gas from any of them. Life in USA was different then and that life is well remembered by many Americans.
In the ensuing time since those, in retrospect, peaceful and bucolic years things in US have changed a bit. I was gone for most of those years, returning off and on as was possible. Through the late sixties and through the seventies I was gone enough to see some slight changes whenever I returned but nothing to worry about. The turmoil in DC and the presidency seemed to have no great affect on the lives of most of the populace and the economy was humming along nicely.
The era of the 80’s ushered in the twelve years of Republican dominance in the White House. I was in the same situation, gone most of the time but back just enough to not be worried about the culture and economy of my country, USA. This changed in the nineties and as I began to spend more time ‘home’ I began to see worrying changes in the general populace along the east and west coasts.
The defining occurrence of that era was the (not so) sudden collapse of the Soviet Union, this same Soviet Union that had instituted the Pax Rossiya in all of eastern Europe after the second war which was in essence simply a continuance of the first war, The War to End All Wars. This Pax Rossiya was in many instances brutal especially in the beginning, as the populaces were cleansed of their propensity of joining every foray in to Russia since Napoleon’s time, in the second war sending tens of thousands of willing volunteers to fight The Godless Russians. However, the Soviet Union did give Europe the longest stretch of unbroken peace in European history, from 1945 (technically) through 1990. Yes yes, there were troubles in eastern Germany in the early ’50’s, Hungary in the mid ’50’s and Poland was from time to time a concern but in essence peace reigned regardless of the two armed forces facing each other at the borders, both armed to the teeth with the western forces strongly backed by the US Army and the eastern forces heavily backed and reinforced by the Soviet Army.
Through all those years I believed, I believed in the truth and righteousness of what I was taught at home and school and Church, that America was the shining light, the end all and be all of peace, prosperity and democracy, that the Soviet Union and her people were a massive and deadly threat to everything we believed in and would attack us and conquer us if given half a chance.
But a crack had appeared in that belief in the late 80’s. I began to understand through interaction with these supposedly Godless Communists that some of these people were exactly like me, patriotic and believing in their cause and their country and not a one of them that I met, in peaceful actions or sometimes not so peaceful actions, ever mentioned conquering Europe or destroying America. In actual fact I found them to be as religious as I was and am, they had no ingrained hatred of USA and many of them admired America and Americans as opposed to everything I was taught about these strange people who spoke an incomprehensible language and many of whom took the trouble to learn what was to them an equally incomprehensible language, English.
The crack widened as the wars started again in Europe after the Soviet Union ceased to exist. The breakup of Yugoslavia was the beginning of these wars and they are ongoing. When Hillary Diane Rodham assumed the de facto presidency in 1993 a new agenda was evident both in USA and American interaction with The World.
At the same time American culture and economy, which had slowly begun to decline in the late eighties and early nineties, accelerated that decline and a new phrase, Politically Correct, began to be heard more and more often. I noticed in my increasing returns to US that the things I and my friends used to laugh and joke about were suddenly not allowed. I found that I was supposed to watch what I say and how I spoke, in essence I was supposed to be ‘Politically Correct’ in my speech and actions, that square was round and nothing was black and white, everything was gray. People that I had known for years, the tradesmen and skilled workers who did so well before, were now worried and watching their small businesses and trades decline at ever increasing speed. Ever increasing Government oversight and regulations began to strangle their businesses and trades, backed up with the constant threat of Government action against them if they did not do as told. Do as told? Since when is Washington my/our nanny?
During her term as president Hillary Diane Rodham put her stamp on Department of State, that entity that to a great extent promulgated US foreign policy. She packed that bureaucracy with her minions and laid the base for power for when she was no longer president. She was appointed Secretary of State in 2009, having spent the previous eight or so years as a senator from New York and working mightily to further infest DoS with her minions. And the wars started. All along the south coast of the Mediterranean Sea starting with the deposing and murder of Qaddafi she worked her magic, attacking Libya, attempting to destroy Egypt, destroying Syria and instrumenting the ongoing mess in Ukraine.
Ukraine. Herein is the problem concerning me and mine. The coup d’etat in Kiev in February of 2014 was planned and executed by Hillary Diane Rodham. The actual prosecution of that coup d’etat was by the sitting US ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, with a great deal of the groundwork performed by the previous ambassador, John Teft (who then was appointed ambassador to Russia where he attempted, and failed, in a plan for ‘regime change’ in Russia).
Ukraine in and of itself meant and means nothing to Hillary Diane Rodham although I have no doubts she is quite happy to have taken a shot at Russia as a consequence of the coup. The prize for all the turmoil and blood in Kiev was Krimean Peninsula and the crown jewel, Sevastopol. When the citizens of The Autonomous Republic of Krimea and the Federal City of Sevastopol said ‘oh hell no’ to the coup installed Kiev government after some pretty serious threats from same, armed up and closed both the peninsula and City, Clinton’s screams could be heard on Mars. When dual referendums were held in Krimea and Sevastopol as to the future of both entities and the vote was a unanimous decision to ‘leave’ Ukraine her screams were heard light years from our little galaxy. It is my understanding that she was apoplectic when both The Autonomous Republic of Krimea and the Federal City of Sevastopol asked to be and were accepted back in to Russia after the referendums, thereby negating Krushchov’s illegal ‘gift’ of Krimea and Sevastopol to administration of the Ukraine SSR.
Her dreams of taking Krimea and Sevastopol, if successful, would have put a massive US Navy base in Sevastopol and turned all of Krimea in to an armed camp with enough missiles to negate a significant portion of Russia’s nuclear deterrent and to put a fair sized portion of Russia in point blank range of US armed forces. All of the sanctions piled on Russia since late March of 2014 are because President V V Putin of Russia, and Krimea and Sevastopol, did not do as she expected and demanded and refused to listen to her. As an aside it’s not too many decades in the past when such an open attack via ‘sanctions’ on a country would have brought a note delivered by the Ambassador of same with a declaration of war.
Now we are two years and nine months after the coup in Kiev. The ongoing war, read attempted regime change, in Syria is coming to a head and with Russia invited in to help the legally elected head of Syria the tide is turning to Dr. Assad’s and the Syrian populace’s favor. Any and all actions by the US Military and soldiers therein are illegal and constitute numerous felonies for each and every one of them, private to general, and every politician who has or had anything to do with that effort. I won’t even mention Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Ukraine, Kosovo and Bosnia and the hundreds of thousands of deaths involved.
Mr. Trump with his election victory has inherited a seething cauldron of a mess that will make the labors of Hercules seem but a flower pot weeding task in comparison. I have no doubts that he is well aware of the mess he is stepping in to as I have no doubts he will clean at least some of this mess, hence the cockroaches running for cover. Four years will surely not be enough and possibly eight years will not suffice either, but I sincerely wish him the best in his efforts. As for EU, I used to think that Merkel, Golland, Blair et al were in total subservience to US due to secrets Langley knows of them. I no longer think that, I think that all of them were and are more than willing accomplices in the continuous efforts to undermine and destroy Russia, in essence ‘once and for all’. They have failed and their careers are now over as is Hillary Diane Rodham’s career. She will be relegated to the trash heap of history along with the rest of them.
As for me, the facade collapsed long ago. I am well aware of what did happen and what is happening now. I am American and loyal to my America, the America of the times I grew up in, the time when I was proud of America. I have no doubts that with time America will return to what she was and should be and I will be proud of America again. However, I am happy where I live now. We don’t lock our doors when we leave for Church or errands and such. I can and have left our car outside the walls unlocked and no one touched it. This is a Navy town and we are proud of our sailors, and the soldiers and Marines based here. They are in uniform in public always and everywhere. Do you see that in US or Europe today? And the silence here at night and dawn is deafening. That is what is known as ‘peace and calm’.
I think the defining moment of my life here, in Russia, was two years ago. I had been to US, not because I wanted to go but because I had to go to take care of some loose ends and it was during that trip that I met Saker face to face. On my return the young Starshi Lutanant in Border Control looked at my US passport and then at my brand new blue Russian Residency passport. He went through every page of the Russian passport and examined my propeeska stamp with a looking glass to make sure it was real and wet stamped. He then smiled, handed both documents back to me and said “Welcome home, (my rank). Enjoy your flight to Sevastopol.” Would that I was welcomed that same way in America when I arrived. I wasn’t.
Thank you for your time,
Auslander
Author Never The Last One https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZGCY8KK
An Incident On Simonka https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ERKH3IU | 0 | [
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FMD1609 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Winston Churchill on Islam Claim summaries: Rumor: Winston Churchill commented on the 'dreadful curses of Mohammedanism' in his 1899 book 'The River Wars.'
contextual information: Winston Churchill wrote about the "dreadful curses of Mohammedanism" in his 1899 book The River War. An obscure quote attributed to British statesman Winston Churchill has been circulating on the Internet since at least May 2013, when Missouri State Representative Rick Stream sent an e-mail to his colleagues warning about the dangers of Islam. That e-mail cited a passage said to have been taken from a speech by Churchill, as reproduced in his 1899 book The River War: An Historical Account of the Reconquest of the Soudan: He was a brave young soldier, a brilliant journalist, an extraordinary politician and statesman, a great war leader and Prime Minister, to whom the Western world must be forever in debt. He was a prophet in his own time; he died on 24 January 1965, at the grand old age of 90 and, after a lifetime of service to his country, was accorded a state funeral. How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries; improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement, and the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men. Individual Muslims may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyzes the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome. The above-quoted passage did appear in The River War when it was first published as a two-volume set in 1899, but the selection was removed when the book was condensed into one volume and republished in 1902. While the one-volume abridged edition of The River War is still readily available, as of January 2015, the original two-volume 1899 version is much harder to find, a condition which may have led to confusion about the origins of the quote in question. However, the Churchill Centre has confirmed these words were indeed written by Winston Churchill. The passage as reproduced on the Internet typically incorporates one small omission, though: it elides Churchill's praise of "Moslems" as "brave and loyal soldiers" and covers the gap by combining the remaining part of the sentence with the previous one. Last updated: 8 January 2015. | 1 | [
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FMD1610 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: The Republican-led Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday set a July 18 confirmation hearing for David Kautter, President Donald Trump’s nominee for a top tax policy job at the U.S. Treasury. If approved by the panel and confirmed by the full Senate, Kautter would become assistant Treasury secretary for tax policy, a position seen as crucial to implementing the tax reform legislation that Trump and his Republican allies in Congress have promised to unveil later this year. Kautter, a former Senate legislative aide, was most recently a tax partner at the firm RSM, which provides tax and audit services. He was also director of American University’s Kogod Tax Center and had a long career at the audit and consulting firm Ernst & Young LLP. “This hearing will provide members with the opportunity to learn first-hand how Mr. Kautter will work with Congress to advance pro-growth tax reform,†Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch said in a statement. | 1 | [
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FMD1611 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: What occurs when you illegally cross the border of the United States? Claim summaries: A viral Facebook post comparing U.S. immigration policy to that of North Korea and Afghanistan gets most of the facts wrong.
contextual information: A nine-year-old viral Facebook post that portrays the United States as soft on illegal immigration experienced a resurgence in early 2018, likely due to ongoing negotiations between President Donald Trump and Congressional Democrats regarding the fate of immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children by their undocumented parents and who have previously been allowed to stay in the United States under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The wording of the post, which was turned into a meme, has been repeated since at least 2009 and has been adapted for Australian and Canadian audiences over the years. There have been small variations here and there, but it typically goes something like this: Undocumented immigrants do have some rights and entitlements, but the meme vastly overstates these entitlements and omits the many burdens and disadvantages placed on these immigrants, including the constant possibility of arrest and deportation. Adults who enter the United States illegally are not provided with a job. In fact, it's illegal to knowingly hire any immigrant who isn't authorized to work in the country (whether they entered the United States illegally or overstayed a visa after entering legally). Of course, that doesn't stop the practice from happening, and according to a 2017 analysis by the Pew Research Institute, there were around 8 million unauthorized immigrants working or looking for work in the United States in 2014. This depends on where you live. As of January 2018, there are 12 states (and the District of Columbia) that allow immigrants without legal status to obtain a driver's license. Some of the states where unauthorized immigrants can drive (California, New Jersey, Illinois) have relatively high undocumented populations. An immigrant who does not have legal status in the United States is not eligible for food stamps (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), although their children might be. Indeed, undocumented immigrants do not receive most kinds of welfare benefits, even though they do pay taxes. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a non-partisan think tank, undocumented immigrants collectively contribute almost $12 billion per year in state and local sales, income, and property taxes. Generally speaking, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for federal housing benefits like public housing, rental assistance, and vouchers. However, as a 2015 Congressional Research Service report outlines, some undocumented immigrants may live in a household with citizens or qualified immigrants and thereby indirectly benefit from some public housing assistance (although the level of that assistance is reduced on a pro rata basis due to the presence of that undocumented immigrant). Undocumented immigrants are eligible for emergency assistance such as homeless accommodation and domestic violence shelters. It is possible for an undocumented immigrant to own a home, either by buying it outright with cash or by using something called an individual tax identification number (ITIN) mortgage. This allows non-citizens (including undocumented immigrants) to bypass the usual requirement of having a social security number to take out a mortgage. Some 31 percent of undocumented immigrants live in a home that is owned by at least one of its residents (as opposed to rented), according to a Migration Policy Institute analysis of data from the United States Census Bureau's 2014 American Community Survey. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible to enroll in Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) Health Insurance Marketplace, significantly curtailing the affordable health insurance and health care available to them. However, six states and the District of Columbia have rules that allow undocumented immigrant children to avail themselves of Medicaid benefits, and undocumented immigrants are also entitled to emergency medical care. According to a 2017 Kaiser Family Foundation analysis, non-elderly undocumented immigrants are four times more likely than United States citizens to be uninsured, and fears about immigration enforcement and detection often cause undocumented immigrants to forgo preventive healthcare, leading to worse outcomes. It's not entirely clear what the creator of this meme means by "child benefits," but let's take a look. Undocumented immigrant taxpayers (using an ITIN rather than a social security number) can avail themselves of a child tax credit. Low-income undocumented immigrants are also eligible for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which provides food and infant formula assistance, as well as nutritional and immunization assessments. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), a federal program that provides financial help to low-income families and pregnant women. In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states are constitutionally barred from denying children a public school education based on their immigration status. As a result, undocumented immigrant children can attend public schools for free, like any other children. While attending public schools, undocumented children can benefit from federal nutrition services like the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program. Only two states (Alabama and South Carolina) do not allow undocumented immigrants to attend public colleges and other third-level institutions, and three others (Arizona, Georgia, and Indiana) do not allow them to pay lower in-state tuition rates, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Undocumented students are not allowed to receive federal financial aid for higher education, but they might be able to get state aid or private scholarships. This is completely false. Undocumented immigrants pay taxes, and there is no provision in law at the federal or state level that grants them any kind of "tax holiday." | 0 | [
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FMD1612 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: J.R. Smith 21st Century WireThe election campaign might be over, but the mainstream media s campaign against President Elect Donald Trump is in full swing. Between all of the fake polling, intentionally pro-Clinton partisan coverage, and mainstream media collusion with the Democratic National Party and the Clinton Campaign exposed through WikiLeaks Podesta email dump nearly the entire US mainstream media is now in full damage-limitation mode desperately trying to preserve any crumb of credibility and perceived authority they might have left.It s now become clear that the media is guilty on multiple fronts, as more proof has emerged of how they are helping to stoke violence, while promoting unfounded fears and all the while pushing fictional hate crime hoaxes.CBS News flagship investigative program 60 Minutes conducted a recorded interview with Trump on Friday in which he made a direct plea on camera to any possible supporters to Stop it, in reference to anyone that may have written racist slogans or abusive language in public, or at schools. In light of the numerous pockets of protests and outbreaks of partisan violence which have racked America since the election results were announced last week, it would have been in the public interest to release this powerful appeal by Trump, but instead mainstream CBS buried it for 3 days until 60 Minutes was scheduled to air later on Sunday evening nationwide. If CBS had any credibility remaining, this certainly will have finished it off.When told about alleged reports of a Trump supporter who were said to have been harassing Latinos and Muslims following his presidential win, Trump told interviewer Leslie Stahl, I am so saddened to hear that. He then added, And I say, Stop it. If it helps, I will say this and I will say right to the cameras: Stop it.' One big thing in this incident that many mainstream media observers did not pick up is that at no time did Stahl give any specifics on these alleged abuses by Trump supporters against Muslims and Latinos, and even though it s obvious that Trump was not responsible for directing any alleged abuses Stahl still demanded an apology on their behalf without offering any evidence to support her claim. This was drive-by media at its worst. In fact, not one of these said accusations of abuse have been properly investigated by the media, and some may end up actually being media-generated rumors, or even hoaxes.Now, it s perfectly understandable that Trump s victory over the establishment s heavily inflated candidate Hillary Clinton has left many Democrats, especially millennial college-aged students upset, angry and feeling more than a little delicate due to their bruised collective egos (they are not upset that Trump won, as much as they are upset that they lost). The real problem exists far beyond the learned immaturity of America s politically correct-obsessed young adults. The real danger is that Democratic Party gutter operatives and their liberal media cohorts are actually staging, and fabricating hate crime incidents in order to propagate the idea that the President Elect and his supporters are somehow causing many minorities fearful about the future . In reality, much of this hype is being generated through these same liberal media outlets.In fact, one Muslim female from Louisiana has since been forced to apologize for inventing her alleged hate crime incident one designed to discredit Trump, and to help stoke more nationwide protests.Buzzfeed reported, via Religion of Peace:A woman who claimed she was attacked and robbed by two men near the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, including one wearing a Donald Trump hat, made up the story, police said in a statement.The woman had alleged the men yelled obscenities at her and took away her wallet and hijab, a scarf sometimes worn by Muslim women, The Advertiser reported.Lafayette Police officials said in a statement the incident is no longer under investigation, the paper reported. During the course of the investigation, the female complainant admitted that she fabricated the story about her physical attack as well as the removal of her hijab and wallet by two white males, the statement reportedly read.NOTE: This story made national headlines and was not questioned or challenged by the hordes of self-described journalists who populate the news and editorial newsrooms of America s corrupt liberal mainstream media.That s right this was just another hoax:Violent Democratic-Affiliated Street GangsWhat Leslie Stahl and the rest of the gatekeepers at CBS and 60 Minutes have obscured is the fact since Tuesday s election, nearly all of the so-called violent hate crimes have been carried out against Trump supporters by street gangs who are most clearly Democrat Party supporters.Here are just a few examples:@michellemalkin Even high school kids are not spared. Student Trump supporter attacked at Woodside High School https://t.co/e7tVvDJ6O8 Mama Angel (@Mommysaurus75) November 11, 2016Watch this clip taken from the radical leftist Portland protests this weekend, where Democratic Party supports attack a single woman in her car because they believed that she was a Trump supporter. These violent incidents reveal the flavor of anarchy which the Democratic Party and the sitting President of the United States, Barack Obama are condoning through their deaf silence over the multiple reports of street violence unleashed with the help of the Democratic Party s online community organizer network MoveOn.org a digital platform partly funded by leading Clinton donor and billionaire George Soros. Watch this stunning clip: From reports we learned that at no time before the attack took place did Wilcox display any support for Donald Trump. It appears as if they attacked him because he was white. So could one call this a case of black on white racism? Regardless, it s political intimidation done on the street which could also be defined as pure political fascism. In this instance, the violence was partisan, and carried out by what could be classed as unofficial Democrat foot soldiers enforcing a type of radical political regime on the streets of America. Watch this disturbing video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7zEibNcejA . Agitator and Chief: Where is Obama?These incidents have been mostly blacked out by a national US media who are obviously still working to discredit the Trump Presidency.Amidst all this violence, however, where is the current President Obama, or the Democratic Party s losing candidate Hillary Clinton to help calm street thugs and violent progressives ? It s almost as if Obama and Clinton are enjoying the unrest. Most certainly though, Obama, Clinton and the Democratic Party are hoping to use this week s media-generated liberal angst as future political leverage.What used to be regarded as a reputable investigative news program, 60 minutes, has gradually become a joke. It seems disinterested in covering anything of genuine interest, opting instead for running bland People Magazine and Time Magazine-style safe segments. Judging by its plummeting ratings, and its predictable cast of job for life government-approved media gatekeeper-cum-commentators like Anderson Cooper and Lesley Stahl, there is little hope for this institution. You might even say it s irredeemable.One of the corporate mainstream s worst offenders during the election was CNN host Brian Stelter (photo, left), whose own show is ironically titled Reliable Sources. Stelter is meant to be CNN s media watchdog person, laughably given the lofty title as senior media analyst. After leading CNN s own exposed efforts to obscure and derail Trump s Presidential run, while working to cover for a hugely unpopular (even among Democrats) Hillary Clinton candidacy, Stelter has now taken it upon himself to revamp his network s horrible reputation as an establishment gatekeeper and manipulator of US elections. But it s too late. The damage has already been done, and CNN will not regain the hanging facade of credibility it once struggled to retain. They are a dirty media outlet, and now everyone knows it.Now CBS News has been exposed in public view, but their crime is even worse than CNN s which was just dirty politics in comparison. CBS News took it upon itself to compromise public safety, and put lives at risk all for its own selfish institutional political position. Twenty years ago, this might have been considered shameful, but in today s toxic liberal media establishment ruled by an unhealthy feeling of superiority over the unwashed masses they are all way past shameless at this stage.None of them can be trusted anymore only tolerated, in the hope that they might actually report some useful news in the coming years.More on the CBS 60 Minutes scandal from The Hill COSMETIC: CBS s Stahl represents the shallow, bland irrelevance of the mainstream gatekeeping media. Joe Concha The HillCBS News is under fire for holding a videotaped clip from a Friday interview with President-elect Donald Trump urging supporters not to attack minorities until a 60 Minutes broadcast on Sunday night. I am very surprised to hear that. I hate to hear it, Trump told interviewer Lesley Stahl when told of some attacks on minorities that have reportedly occurred since his election victory Tuesday. I am so sorry to hear it, and I say stop it, Trump said before looking directly into the camera. And I say right to the camera, stop it. 60 Minutes did release quotes from the Friday interview in advance, but only a statement by Trump on the Affordable Care Act. We chose to release a quote on the issue that affects the most Americans & that was his statement on Obamacare, a spokesperson for CBS told CNN Monday.Kai Ryssdal, host of Marketplace, called that reasoning completely underwhelming. CBS's underwhelming answer: "We chose to release a quote on the issue that affects the most Americans & that was his statement on Obamacare" Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 14, 2016Protests have grown in the wake of Trump s victory in major cities across the country.Not all protests have been peaceful. A protester was shot in Portland last Thursday and hospitalized. Hundreds of arrests have been made, property has been damaged and traffic has snarled due to roads being blocked by protesters chanting Impeach Trump and Not my president. Continue this story at The HillREAD MORE ELECTION NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire 2016 FilesSUPPORT 21WIRE SUBSCRIBE NOW & BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV | 0 | [
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FMD1613 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Germany s Social Democrat (SPD) Foreign Minister said on Thursday that his party would not be quick to agree to another grand coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel s conservatives, as party leaders met with the president in a bid to end political deadlock. Merkel is casting around for a coalition partner after her center-right bloc shed support to the far right in a Sept. 24 election. Her attempts to form a three-way tie-up with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens failed. The SPD, which saw its participation in a Merkel-led coalition government from 2013-17 rewarded with its worst election result in German post-war history, had been strongly opposed to another grand coalition . But under pressure from Germany s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, SPD leader Martin Schulz has signaled willingness to discuss a way out of the political impasse. SPD Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told broadcaster ZDF no one should expect his party | 1 | [
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FMD1614 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Has Governor Cuomo recently received a $71,000 salary increase? Claim summaries: The New York governor was one of several state officials who were voted substantial, phased-in pay raises recommended by a compensation committee.
contextual information: Snopes is still fighting an infodemic of rumors and misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and you can help. Find out what we've learned and how to inoculate yourself against COVID-19 misinformation. Read the latest fact checks about the vaccines. Submit any questionable rumors and advice you encounter. Become a Founding Member to help us hire more fact-checkers. And, please, follow the CDC or WHO for guidance on protecting your community from the disease. fighting Find out Read Submit Become a Founding Member CDC WHO During the coronavirus pandemic of spring 2020, Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York remained at the top of the news cycle for two reasons: His state saw by far the largest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, and his daily press briefings were a staple of television news coverage of the crisis. The New York governor was also praised as a model of political leadership during an emergency by those who were highly critical of President Donald Trump and his handling of the U.S. federal response to COVID-19. largest number During that period, a meme circulated via social media stating that Cuomo had recently requested and been granted a $71,000 pay raise that made him the highest-paid governor in the U.S., and that this activity had taken place "while most NYers were sleeping": It was true that Cuomo had been granted a pay raise that would make him (at least temporarily) the highest-paid governor of any state. But that pay adjustment had been recommended and enacted a year earlier (i.e., in 2019, not 2020), the $71,000 increase was phased in across the span of three years (rather than given all at once), and the matter involved multiple recommendations and approvals from state authorities (largely given because the governor's salary not increased since 1999) which were openly publicized and not hidden from New York residents. On April 1, 2019, both houses of the New York Legislature (Assembly and Senate) approved a pay hike that would increase Cuomo's compensation from $179,500 to $200,000 in 2019, $225,000 in 2020, and $250,000 in 2021. In terms of base salary, that raise created the potential for Cuomo to become the nation's highest-paid governor in 2020, out-earning Gov. Gavin Newsom of California (assuming that no other state raised its chief executive's pay to a higher level before then). Gov. Gavin Newsom The gubernatorial pay hike was one of several salary increases that had been recommended back in December 2018 by the New York State Compensation Committee, which "after months of research and public hearings," advocated substantial pay raises for multiple high-level state officers -- many of whom would, like the governor, would see phased pay increases eventually garnering them well over $200,000 per year: recommended A four-member committee has recommended substantial pay raises for members of the state Legislature, the governor, lieutenant governor, state comptroller and state attorney general. The New York State Compensation Committee consisting of current and former New York state and New York City comptrollers unveiled their recommendations Monday, December 10, 2018, after months of research and public hearings. The Compensation Committee recommends that, starting on Jan. 1 of 2019, state legislators will receive an annual salary of $110,000. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2020, lawmakers will receive an annual salary of $120,000 and their outside income would be capped at $18,000, which 15 percent of their legislative pay. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2021, lawmakers would receive $130,000 a year and their outside income would be capped at $19,500, which is 15 percent of their legislative pay. This would be the long-term compensation for state legislators moving forward. The Compensation Committee is also recommending pay increases for the governor, who would receive an annual salary of $250,000 after a three-year phase-in; the lieutenant governor, who would receive $220,000 after a three-year phase-in; and an annual salary of $220,000 for both the state comptroller and state attorney general after a phase-in period. Executive branch commissioners and department heads would also receive pay raises under the plan, with Tier A commissioners making $220,000 after a three-year phase-in. As the New York Post reported, some legislators "grumbled that the [pay raise] measure was thrown in at the last minute" while they were working overtime to pass a state budget, but Cuomo and others defended it by noting that the compensation committee's recommendations had been published and accepted months earlier: reported Because the governor cant sign off on his own pay hike, the raise required legislative action. The state Senate approved the increase at 2:45 a.m. and the Assembly acted a few hours later. Some lawmakers grumbled that the measure was thrown in at the last minute, while they were grappling with the new $175.5 billion state budget. The salary adjustments were done last December by the pay commission which publicized and put out a report, which was accepted by the legislature, Cuomo said. That was published and discussed in December, so theres nothing new on that. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) backed up Cuomo. It has a fiscal component to it, so theres always the realization to do it, Heastie told reporters. We felt that all the statewide officials were able to get raises ... the governor and the lieutenant governors salaries arent fixed by statute, they have to be done by a concurrent resolution between the Assembly and the Senate and thats the reason why they were done. Gormley, James. "Pay Committee Recommends $50,000 Annual Salary Increase for Lawmakers."
Legislative Gazette. 11 December 2018. Davis, Dominic-Madori and Marguerite Ward. "Here's the Salary of Every Governor in All 50 US States."
Business Insider. 20 April 2020. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Coronavirus Disease 2019 -- Cases in the U.S."
Accessed 20 May 2020. Feis, Aaron. "Andrew Cuomo to Become the Highest-Paid Governor in the US."
New York Post. 1 April 2019. Hogan, Bernadette. "Andrew Cuomo Defends His Huge Pay Raise."
New York Post. 2 April 2019. | 2 | [
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FMD1615 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Senator John McCain warned President Donald Trump on Thursday against nominating any more defense industry insiders to top Pentagon posts, as his committee questioned an executive from Lockheed Martin Corp about potential conflicts of interest. Concern over the close relationship between the Pentagon and arms manufacturers has existed for decades but appears to have intensified under Trump. He has drawn scrutiny for filling posts throughout his government with high-ranking executives. The latest example was his naming this week of former pharmaceutical executive and lobbyist Alex Azar to become Health and Human Services secretary. McCain, chairman of the Senate’s armed services committee, said he was troubled by the number of Defense Department nominees drawn from the defense industry. He said he would oppose any more such nominations after John Rood, Trump’s pick for the Pentagon’s No. 3 job, who appeared before the committee on Thursday. “From this point forward, I will not support any further nominees with that background,†McCain said in a statement. Rood ran into trouble during the hearing over his nomination to become undersecretary of defense for policy. As a Lockheed senior vice president, Rood’s job is to expand the company’s international business. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren pressed him to say if he would recuse himself from discussions with U.S. allies that could benefit Lockheed, the largest U.S. defense contractor with business in 70 countries. Rood said he did not intend to participate in talks about the sale of Lockheed products but did not give the “yes or no†reply sought by Warren, triggering a charged exchange with the committee. McCain joined Warren in demanding a direct answer and warned Rood that otherwise, he was “going to have trouble getting through this committee.†McCain told Rood to submit his response in writing “because obviously you are ducking the answer here.†The uproar came a day after the Senate confirmed Trump’s choice for Army secretary, Mark Esper, who was a top executive at Raytheon, another U.S. defense industry giant. He committed to recusing himself from matters tied to Raytheon. Trump’s Pentagon also has officials who previously worked at Boeing and Textron Systems. U.S. arms manufacturers like Raytheon, whose shares have risen more than 30 percent since December, are expected to benefit in the coming year from an increase in defense spending. The Pentagon says it has 38 unfilled positions for civilian defense leadership roles that require Senate confirmation, and at least 23 nominees whose names have already been submitted to the Senate. It was unclear from McCain’s remarks whether he would oppose any of the already-announced nominees, although he seemed to be warning about future Pentagon picks. | 1 | [
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FMD1616 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Several North Korean missiles were recently spotted moved from a rocket facility in the capital Pyongyang, South Korea s Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) reported late Friday amid speculation that the North was preparing to take more provocative actions. The report cited an unnamed intelligence source saying South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials detected missiles being transported away from North Korea s Missile Research and Development Facility at Sanum-dong in the northern part of Pyongyang. The report did not say when or where they had been moved. The missiles could be either intermediate range Hwasong-12 or intercontinental ballistic Hwasong-14 missiles, according to the report, though the missile facility at Sanum-dong has been dedicated to the production of intercontinental ballistic missiles. A source from South Korea s defense ministry said he could not confirm details of the report or whether there has been any unusual activities in the area mentioned. South Korean official have voiced concerns that North Korea could conduct more provocative acts near the anniversary of the founding of its communist party on Oct. 10, or possibly when China holds its Communist Party Congress on Oct. 18. Amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, South Korea and U.S. forces recently held their first joint short range air defense training exercise in South Korea, according to a statement released by the U.S. Pacific Command on Friday. The statement did not give the date of the exercise, but said the next exercise is scheduled to take place over the next few months as the two forces become more familiar with each other s capabilities. | 1 | [
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FMD1617 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Fifteen years ago, I was a Peace Corps volunteer living in a village of mud huts on the dry Sahel landscape of northern Ivory Coast. The nearest market town, Ferkessédougou, was 20 miles away, and every Thursday morning I would mount my Trek 820 and pedal out past the last huts, announcing in limited my intention to ride to Ferké and return by sundown. In town, I would collect groundnut paste and cucumbers, down a cold Coke and buy a local newspaper. Once, below the fold, I saw a picture of a man playing tennis. The man was bending low for a backhand, and his form evoked something of yesteryear. attire, planted leg, clean stroke. The man was Ivorian, and Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s largest city, had just hosted some kind of national tennis tournament. At this information, I considered my days on the high school tennis team and my friends in Ferké and the village. I figured I might just be one of the best tennis players in the entire country. Today, I live across the African continent in Rwanda, and I thought of this photo recently when a United States Tennis Association newsletter dropped into my inbox acclaiming a charity project with the subject line “Maine Woman Brings Tennis to Africa. †No, she did not. And I am nowhere near the best player in any African country. If my difficulty handling the groundstrokes of Ernest Habiyambere, Rwanda’s top player, is any indication, I should be ashamed I ever considered the possibility I was a national contender. Except for two South Africans, no players from Africa will play in this year’s United States Open, but the world’s poorest continent indeed plays tennis, and plays it well. I have spent some time exploring African tennis during my many years in Africa. I have watched Habiyambere clean up at local tournaments, sat courtside at International Tennis junior championships, and been stomped by Ghanaian teenagers. I suspect that — to inversely paraphrase the U. S. T. A. newsletter — an could bring Africa to tennis sooner than we think. Regional ascendancy tends to happen quickly in sports. In 1990, only six Eastern Europeans were among the top 50 players in women’s tennis. Today a legion occupies nearly half of those slots. The world’s man, Novak Djokovic, led a class of Serbian players who emerged in the . For its part, Africa has scaled to the heights of another sport over the same period: soccer. The youngsters who watched Cameroon’s pioneering run to the 1990 World Cup quarterfinals have filled roster spots on Europe’s greatest teams, including superstars like Samuel Eto’o, who scored more than 100 goals for Barcelona. Is African tennis the next African soccer? Where might the African counterpart to Djokovic, who struck tennis balls in an empty Belgrade swimming pool as a child, be found ripping forehand after forehand? To understand African tennis is to understand the fate of the game’s juniors, the children who learn the game as ball boys at private clubs, the teenagers who rally with local businessmen for cash to enter tournaments, and the talent tapped by the I. T. F. to compete worldwide. It is also to understand why, in any given week, rarely is more than a single black player from Africa ranked among tennis’s top 1, 000 players. Habiyambere likes this, an opportunity for an angle when a backhand lands near his service line and hangs waist level. At the sight of this sitter, he cocks low and then snaps his racket through the ball, drilling a forehand that smacks the clay and kicks off the deuce side beyond the flail of Olivier Havugimana, Rwanda’s No. 2 player. Habiyambere has early control of the Gasigwa Memorial Tournament final. It is March at Cercle Sportif de Kigali, Rwanda’s premier tennis club. Rwanda, an area smaller than Massachusetts, is known as the land of a thousand hills, and Cercle Sportif sits pinched between two of them. The leafy Kiyovu neighborhood rises above the club’s six clay tennis courts on one side on the other, a soccer field sunk at the valley bottom abuts the poorer Gikondo neighborhood. At Court 1, Rwanda’s tennis establishment has clustered on a wooden grandstand to watch Habiyambere and Havugimana: older weekend players in Adidas tracksuits, returned members of the diaspora in slacks and oxford shirts, and Maj. Gen. Jean Bosco Kazura, whose résumé includes the military campaign to end Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and a nice kick serve to the backhand. Shouts of “ !†and “oui!†punctuate clean baseline winners. The felt concussion of competitive tennis — of racket thud, air hiss and friction — is all over this match. The players are wearing white emblazoned with a blanched photo of Gasigwa, for whom the tournament is named. Last year, Gasigwa, 31, collapsed and died at Cercle Sportif while jogging around the soccer field. He was one of Rwanda’s most accomplished tennis players, having won the national tournaments of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Habiyambere learned the game from Gasigwa and is his heir apparent. In 2013, at 13, Habiyambere won the East African Junior Championships in Tanzania, dropping only two sets. Over the next months, he won matches at regional tournaments. Then he reached the semifinals of the African Junior Championships, narrowly losing to the eventual continental champion. His run caught the attention of the I. T. F. the organizer of the tournaments, the sport’s governing body and the institution most responsible for developing junior players in countries without serious tennis traditions or budgets. The I. T. F. awarded Habiyambere a scholarship to its training center in Morocco, and he was soon playing in junior tournaments across Europe, telling the Rwandan news media that a professional tennis career was his dream. “I want to be among the best tennis players this country will ever have,†he said. Tennis may be played worldwide, but excluding Antarctica, Africa is the only continent with a lone player among the top 50 men or women: Kevin Anderson, a white South African. Many of Anderson’s countrymen and women — all white — have excelled in elite tennis, including the former No. 3 Amanda Coetzer Wayne Ferreira Kevin Curren, Africa’s last Grand Slam singles finalist and Johan Kriek, who won Australian Open titles in the 1980s. North Africans have also starred. The Moroccans Younes and Hicham Arazi were players who made deep runs in Grand Slam tournaments in the early 2000s. Ons Jabeur of Tunisia won the girls’ title at the French Open in 2011, and No. 53 Malek Jaziri of Tunisia will play at the United States Open this week. Technically, a North African has won Wimbledon: Jaroslav Drobny of Egypt in 1954. Czechoslovakian by birth, Drobny defected in 1949 and settled on Egyptian citizenship before securing British papers. But aside from South Africans, Africa is deeply underrepresented in world tennis. Once ranked 74th, Yahiya Doumbia of Senegal won two ATP tournaments in France, in Lyon in 1988 and in Bordeaux in 1995. For most fans, Doumbia’s will be the only unrecognizable name on the list of those competitions’ champions, dropped in among John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl, Andy Roddick and Richard Gasquet. Nduka Odizor of Nigeria topped out at No. 52 in 1984, a year after he won his only ATP tournament. Odizor learned to play tennis in Lagos but was spotted there by a visiting University of Houston professor, who sponsored a move to Texas, where Odizor finished high school and became an for Houston. Emigration from Africa to lands of greater tennis opportunity remains viable. The black player from Africa today is Takanyi Garanganga of Zimbabwe, which has its own history of successful white players. Garanganga benefited from Zimbabwe’s relatively strong junior program, but the country’s economic woes and interest from a United Zimbabwean coach prompted his family to move to Atlanta when he was 13. Garanganga climbed the junior rankings, emerged as a top college prospect and declined scholarship offers to turn pro in 2009. Although once ranked as high as No. 288, Garanganga was 495th as of last week. The only other black African players in the men’s top 1, 000 are No. 930 Alexis Klegou of Benin, who grew up in France and attended Texas AM, and No. 988 Duncan Mugabe, a Ugandan who has played mostly in Africa. The black African women are No. 551 Valeria Bhunu of Zimbabwe and No. 892 Lesedi Jacobs of Namibia. At Cercle Sportif, Habiyambere has little trouble with Havugimana, one of the few players within Rwanda’s borders capable of giving him a match. Habiyambere wins, closing with a winner down the line to break and a service game held at love. Three days later, I take the court for my weekly session with Habiyambere. He charges expatriates like me $6 for an hour’s lesson. It is the only income his family earns. One hot January several years ago, when I lived in Accra, Ghana, I boarded a minibus headed west to Winneba, home of Ghana’s National Sports College and site of the I. T. F. ’s West and Central African Junior Championships. I was playing tennis regularly with one of Ghana’s juniors. As with Habiyambere, I paid him several dollars an hour to hit and, basically, to be badly beaten. In Winneba, a taxi dropped me at a semicircle campus of concrete basketball courts, concrete classroom buildings and concrete dormitories. Through these were the tennis courts, and while they were lined with concrete grandstands, the backstop fences were sturdy and the courts painted the fresh green and blue of professional tournaments. They were the first hardcourts without cracks that I had seen in Africa. I met Amine Ben Makhlouf, the director of the I. T. F. training center in Casablanca, Morocco. A Moroccan a few years past his playing prime, Ben Makhlouf was there to manage the tournament and scout promising players. I asked him if there was talent in Africa. “Our feeling,†Ben Makhlouf said, “is if Africa can make it in football, why not tennis?†The boys’ draw included a New named William Bushamuka. He would eventually rank among the world’s top 200 juniors, train at IMG Academy in Florida and compete for the University of Kentucky, where today he ranks among the top collegians. Bushamuka did not win the tournament. Seydou Diallo did. Diallo was from sparsely populated Mali, its team by a Peace Corps volunteer who estimated there were only 40 Malian children playing organized tennis. One of them — Diallo — beat Bushamuka twice, in the stage and in the semifinals. The lanky Diallo possessed height that suggested a power game, but he relied instead on looping groundstrokes to pin opponents behind the baseline and wear them down with consistency. In both victories over Bushamuka and in the final against Nigeria’s best player, he dropped the opening set before his unassailable defense frustrated his opponents into impatience, errors and lost sets. For Ben Makhlouf, such evidence of African tennis promise abounds. When I spoke with him again this year, he cited the presence of Africans on American college teams and the success players have had with I. T. F. traveling teams. “We have seen that some of them who were part of the training center made good results by beating some of the top European players,†he said. Ben Makhlouf’s colleague Thierry Ntwali, a Rwandan who runs the I. T. F. ’s East Africa training center, told me, “It’s possible to get our best players in the top 50, top 20, in I. T. F. juniors rankings. †Ntwali’s best evidence is Sada Nahimana, a girl from Burundi. Nahimana has won continental championships three times, and excluding South Africans, she is the junior from Africa, at No. 176. “We feel that around the age of 17, she will be top 50,†Ntwali said. At Wimbledon this year, Serena Williams was asked if she was surprised that so few African women played on the world tour. “Yes,†she replied. Williams, who has conducted clinics on the continent, said she saw “so much talent. †She added, “There has to be, one day, a player from Africa that can do really well. †I sat with Habiyambere one morning at Cercle Sportif’s bar. He spoke imperfect English, a reflection of spotty schooling in Rwanda, which has spurned French. Although English became an official language after the 1994 genocide — exiles toppled the perpetrating government — it was not till 2009 that the country, a former Belgian colony, switched to English in schools. The result is a tennis club where only younger players and educated members possess any English, scores are called in French, and net chatter carries on in Kinyarwanda. Habiyambere was describing his rise from disciple of Gasigwa to I. T. F. prospect at the federation’s High Performance Center in Morocco. “I was thinking I would never go in Europe,†he said. “I went in Europe because of tennis. †Habiyambere had proved too strong for the competition at the smaller East Africa I. T. F. center. The move to Morocco, where the Malian Diallo was also training, was intended to push Habiyambere up the federation’s Pyramid of Opportunity, the pinnacle of which is a junior ranking, an achievement thought to indicate that a boy can mature into a man. An important step is participation on travel teams because, Ben Makhlouf said, “the best way to improve is to play competitions. †Habiyambere’s first European match, on his first trip out of Africa, was in France. “I was excited,†he said. “First match I was really scared. †Habiyambere lost and listed the reasons: “changing weather,†“you’re thinking too much,†“my body was tight. †But he settled down and won elsewhere in Europe. “The time you play more matches,†he said, “is the time you feel like you get match it’s normal. You feel like it’s practice. You feel like, I can do this I can do this. †Still, Habiyambere did not win any tournaments on the tour. I asked if he thought the European players were simply better. “The difference was, they have more matches,†he said, adding, “For them, the tournaments and matches, they don’t get scared. †One day last year at the Morocco center, Habiyambere collapsed during training. He recovered but fainted again days later. Habiyambere could not articulate a diagnosis, but I. T. F. coaches I spoke with suggested he was having seizures, an ailment the federation would not monitor. They sent Habiyambere home to Rwanda. Doctors in Rwanda found no medical problems. Habiyambere said he was assured that he could return to Morocco if he felt better. But since last August, he has played only at Cercle Sportif. Ntwali, of the I. T. F. told me that Habiyambere was welcome back but that the federation needed proof he was medically sound. Habiyambere’s coach at Cercle Sportif, Sylvain Rutikanga, insisted that Habiyambere was healthy and that returning to the I. T. F. was a matter of paying tuition or playing tournaments to revive his scholarship. Tuition was not something Ntwali had mentioned. Vagueness of diagnosis, conflicting stories, opacity of the way forward, authorities acting (or not) for the powerless — Habiyambere is in a limbo all too common for many young Africans. He is highly skilled in his discipline, but without the means to leverage it. Another thing makes it difficult for Habiyambere: His father died when he was very young, relatives were lost in the 1994 genocide, and his mother has back and leg problems so severe that Habiyambere says she cannot work. “I’m the one who tries to take care of her,†he said. For an East African tennis champion, for a ranked among the world’s top 750 juniors, fainting at tennis practice is not just a setback. It might mean a life derailed. “Ernest can be a bon joueur†— a good player — Rutikanga said. In Rutikanga’s French, the phrase translates better as “someone who can make it. †“He has everything he has everything,†Rutikanga said. “He has la force he has la tête†— the strength and the head. “He is in bon condition. Now, he trains all alone. Now, it hurts me. †Rutikanga is considered by many the best teaching coach in Rwanda. At 43 and with tournament experience, he can still play with Habiyambere or feed flawless balls to a diplomat. Rutikanga made clear something I have heard at clubs across the continent. In Africa, he said, “the players who play tennis, they are people who come from families who are not rich. †Habiyambere is an example, but so is Rutikanga. He came from a poor family, but one that lived near Cercle Sportif. As a child, Rutikanga could not afford club membership — I pay $110 annually for unlimited court time — but he was captivated by the foreigners and wealthy Rwandans driving by his neighborhood to play tennis. There was a back door: play at the more welcoming Hotel Diplomat courts by day and work for tips as a Cercle Sportif ball boy by night. “All the players you see here,†Rutikanga said of Cercle Sportif, “first they worked as ball boys. †When Rutikanga talks about “the players,†he is making a distinction between club members and the young men and women who can really hit. Those players almost exclusively emerge from the handful of ball boys who fetch netted serves and water the dusty clay, or from clinics that Cercle Sportif holds for neighborhood children. (The club, at the Rwanda Tennis Federation’s request, is more open to nonpaying children than in Rutikanga’s childhood days.) Thus, the tennis talent pool in Rwanda is tiny and impoverished. I brought this up with Ben Makhlouf, the I. T. F. center director. “How many players are getting the right training, are getting the right coaching, are getting the right competition?†he said. “Let’s be nice: We will find a hundred persons. But if you go, for example, to a city like Barcelona, and all the academies there, you will find 5, 000 — only in Barcelona. †Further, Africa’s elite talent is so scattered it lacks competition for itself — hence the I. T. F. strategy of congregating top African players and exposing them to European competition. “We don’t have enough players playing competition at such level compared to Europe,†Ben Makhlouf said. In the case of Habiyambere, Ntwali, of the I. T. F. said bluntly, “Rwanda does not produce enough competition for him. †No one is more aware of this than Habiyambere. “Our coaches, they are good,†he said proudly of Cercle Sportif and Rwanda. “They are not very good, but they are good. But the thing, you can’t coach someone who is not playing tournaments. †The value of competition, Habiyambere said, is not just being pushed to another level but also facing different styles of play. “You have some people who hit hard, who hit flat,†he said. “There are some who like to push the ball inside the court. They make you like running. You find some players who have a lot of spin. †He added, “You play matches you feel comfortable you feel the confidence. †The U. S. T. A. newsletter that caught my eye recently, about “bringing tennis to Africa,†was highlighting an American volunteer’s clinic in Cameroon and donation of rackets. Used equipment and guest clinics might help address the quantity factor of African tennis, perhaps drawing a few more youngsters to the game. But when it comes to Africa’s dearth of players, the “lack of resources†lament boils down to access to competition. Habiyambere never asks me for a new racket he asks me for a bus ticket to Nairobi for the Kenya Open. Eric Hagenimana, a Rwandan coaching at a New Mexico tennis club, and Garanganga, today’s top black player from Africa, do not harp on poverty when describing Africa’s tennis plight. Hagenimana, 31, posted a youth record that still stands as the Rwandan benchmark. He reached No. 102 as a junior and defeated a Kevin Anderson. “I don’t think about resources to produce a good tennis player,†Hagenimana told me over a Skype call from Albuquerque. “Look at Serbia, Djokovic and other guys from there. It doesn’t matter where you start. †But support — financial and otherwise — becomes critical when players are vying for ranking points and meager prize money on the professional circuits, Hagenimana conceded. Tennis careers come not to winners of junior tournaments but to players who show up week in and week out at disparate tournaments, cobble victories together to secure higher rankings, and maintain the rigor year after year. The costs of these logistics pose a serious challenge even for American and European players, who at least have several tournaments each month to choose from and often have backing from their families to keep the dream alive. Garanganga said those juniors also had the advantage of an accepted “blueprint for tournaments kids need to play by the time they are 16 if they decide to turn pro. †But if you are from the steep dirt streets by Cercle Sportif, you may have had access only to the 23 boys’ I. T. F. tournaments and the 14 men’s Futures tournaments that were held across Africa in 2015. And a bus ticket to Nairobi amounts to months of wages for the average family airfare to North Africa, where tournaments are more frequent, can run $1, 000. Garanganga said African coaches, tennis federations and parents often had distorted perceptions of players’ options. “The reason why we have junior players with some skill they haven’t developed is because they don’t have the right guidance to transition into the professional career,†he said. A couple of months ago, Habiyambere showed me a spreadsheet prepared by a local coach. The cost of competing in two Futures tournaments in Egypt totaled $3, 000. What, Habiyambere asked, could I do? His question captured more than an unfathomable financial stratosphere. It captured the mechanics of a livelihood. Hagenimana and Garanganga are tennis pros, but so are Habiyambere and the players at Cercle Sportif. There, a member typically forms a relationship with a single and the association runs deeper than lessons and hourly rates. The relatively negligible fee I pay to hit with a national champion is supplemented by an unspoken expectation that I will pay for many sessions in advance that I will bring gifts of racket string when I return from an American vacation that I will have cash on hand should there be a problem at home that I will not abandon my coach for another that I will help sponsor him to compete in tournaments. All this I do. The fate of the best tennis players in Rwanda, then, is closely tied to the largess of those with whom they play. Life as an I. T. F. darling ends age, stagnated skill and hardship preclude money tournaments not everyone can move to the United States, as Hagenimana did. Perhaps Habiyambere will find a way back to an I. T. F. center. Perhaps a rich benefactor will sponsor him for a tennis academy abroad. Maybe Habiyambere is destined to remain at Cercle Sportif and become the next generation’s Sylvain Rutikanga. “My career is good,†Rutikanga told me. “I have a lot of clients. †He is indeed always on the court when I am at Cercle Sportif. But there are not enough members and expats to sustain the dozen or so other players I know. What if Habiyambere never takes the next step? And what about all the other coaches? Rutikanga said each would give lessons “until he dies. †Rutikanga added: “He will give lessons, play competitions. He will continue if he doesn’t have a problem — until he isn’t capable of playing. †Across the continent, ever since I saw that newspaper photo of an Ivorian playing tennis during my Peace Corps days, I have asked African players and coaches whether a black player from Africa will reach the top 100 in the next 10 years. Rutikanga was skeptical, saying, “We don’t have the players. †Garanganga said he thought “the level of top African juniors participating internationally has dropped. †And Hagenimana strained to be positive. “Top 200, maybe it can happen,†he said. “Top 100? I can never say no. †But Ben Makhlouf and Ntwali of the I. T. F. want to believe. Ntwali, who has seen Nahimana, the Burundian teenager, scale the junior rankings, was the most optimistic. “WTA: Yes, 100 percent,†Ntwali said. “We will see some black girls coming up. For men, within five years we can get someone close to 200. †There are days I believe, too. Especially when Habiyambere passes me with brutally paced, angled and dipped shots. Or when Rutikanga demonstrates a slight open racket face for a soft volley, the kind of instruction I would pay $75 an hour for in the United States. Then there are the matches on the Cercle Sportif clay. I recall how Habiyambere won the Gasigwa Memorial Tournament. He torqued forehands with such force that the resulting yellow arc appeared harshly parabolic. He skipped confidently beneath overheads. When his opponent stretched as if to suggest a tight back was slowing him down, he gazed with patient silence and remained merciless. On changeovers he organized water bottles with a deliberation worthy of Rafael Nadal and sat with the posture and flat feet of Andy Murray. When he won, Habiyambere shook hands with his opponent and the umpire. Then he turned to the grandstand and softly clapped his hand against his racket like Roger Federer. | 1 | [
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FMD1618 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: On Thursday, the U.K. voted to leave the European Union, and, of course, conservatives here in the U.S. rejoiced because they see it as a move for freedom and sovereignty, and against big government (they don t get it, in other words). Trump is one of those people who panders to xenophobic, anti-globalists despite profiting from the global economy, and he got it way wrong when he got to Scotland and gave a speech at his new golf course there.Here s what he tweeted upon his arrival in Scotland:Just arrived in Scotland. Place is going wild over the vote. They took their country back, just like we will take America back. No games! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 24, 2016 Place is going wild, and, They took their country back. Really? Scotland voted to remain in the E.U. by well over 60 percent. Once again, we have to ask, Bro, do you even news? Those in the Twitterverse, who know what s what, decided to answer that question by taking him task for this in a way that only Twitter can (warning: explicit language). @realDonaldTrump They voted to STAY, dear. If Mrs. Doubtfire were real & back in Scotland she would would smack you on the head. Randi Mayem Singer (@rmayemsinger) June 24, 2016@realDonaldTrump they voted IN you absolute fucking doughnut. A future leader? You couldn t lead an OAP egg and spoon race. Ayden Callaghan (@AydenCallaghan) June 24, 2016 @realDonaldTrump Jeez you re stupid you sentient enema. Lachlan Buchanan (@lachlanbuchanan) June 24, 2016@realDonaldTrump you couldn t be more out of touch with reality if Nessie bit you on the arse you utter fool. Scotland voted REMAIN. Terry McDermott (@TerryMacMusic) June 24, 2016 @realDonaldTrump yeah except Scotland votes to REMAIN, you fucktart. aronmagner (@aronmagner) June 24, 2016@realDonaldTrump So far from truth. Scotland voted to remain unanimously. Remember darkness and hate can t put out darkness and hate. Paul Potts (@paulpottsmusic) June 24, 2016 @realDonaldTrump We voted to stay in the EU, you utter cockwomble. Go take a swim in the Firth of Clyde. Jennifer Hainey (@Gingernutjen) June 24, 2016Hey @realDonaldTrump, do you realise that you are a fuck-knuckle? Scotland voted remain. Going as wild as your real hair you twat stick! Nic Donald (@NicDonald) June 24, 2016 @realDonaldTrump Scotland voted against leaving you leather faced, shit- tobogganist Laura Wootton (@BornMorgana) June 25, 2016@realDonaldTrump And all your speech writers just sighed a collective Oh what the fuck. #BrexitVote #Wrongcountry #Scotsvotedtostay Donnalovessports (@DonnaS86) June 24, 2016 @realDonaldTrump Does Donald actually know how to read? lol Joshua B. Porter (@joshuabporter) June 24, 2016@realDonaldTrump Scotland near unanimously voted to remain you big floppy haired nonce. James Xavier Lam (@JamesXavierLam) June 24, 2016 @realDonaldTrump sorry Scotland. Not all Americans are complete assbags. This orange guy doesn t know anything. Lamo Joe (@1Bad_Scientist) June 24, 2016@realDonaldTrump in what kind of school did you learn to write but not to read? Bakjour (@Bakjour) June 24, 2016 @realDonaldTrump Scotland voted overwhelmingly AGAINST Brexit you stupid nylon-haired shit stain. Pete Brown (@PeteBrownBeer) June 24, 2016@realDonaldTrump so you say you ll get America out of the EU? (((Toby))) (@tobybaier) June 24, 2016 @realDonaldTrump Are you really this stupid! Scotland voted AGAINST Leave, you stupid man. No wonder Wall Street won t touch you. BobSmithWalker 45% (@BobSmithWalker) June 24, 2016Is there anything better than seeing pissed-off citizens of the U.K. hurling insults at King Donald the Trump?The result of Brexit will be another independence referendum in Scotland. Scotland feels that they were dragged out of the E.U. against their will, and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said they will get legislation underway immediately for that referendum. Scotland tried an independence referendum about two years ago, and it failed by a not-insignificant margin, but Brexit might be what Scotland needs to push that referendum through.None of that matters to Trump, though, because the truth doesn t matter to him. He ll twist the truth to suit his agenda, and his agenda is highly nutty. In fact, it s so nutty that this is what he was apparently greeted with at Turnberry:Donald Trump surrounded with red golf balls with swastikas on them in Scotland pic.twitter.com/QPHfFoEcpd [email protected] (@ToonArmyMIA) June 24, 2016It s amusing that he tried to paint Scotland, of all countries, as supportive of Brexit. They are anything but, and he needs to learn to read news that doesn t come from InfoWars.Featured image by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images and Twitter | 0 | [
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FMD1619 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Donald Trump supporters who struggle to earn a paycheck continue to get screwed over and Bernie Sanders called Trump out for it on Sunday.On Friday, Trump met with Wall Street bankers and promised that he will gut Dodd-Frank regulations that prevent them from screwing over their customers. Specifically, Trump admitted that he is only interested in helping his rich friends instead of sticking to his promise to help the working class Americans who voted for him. We expect to be cutting a lot out of Dodd-Frank, because frankly I have so many people, friends of mine, that have nice businesses and they can t borrow money. They just can t get any money because the banks just won t let them borrow because of the rules and regulations in Dodd-Frank. So we ll be talking about that in terms of the banking industry. Furthermore, Trump has stacked his administration with former Goldman Sachs employees despite criticizing Hillary Clinton throughout his campaign for her ties to the big Wall Street bank.On Sunday, Senator Bernie Sanders did not mince words as he called out Trump for being a fraud. It is hard not to laugh to see President Trump alongside these Wall Street guys, Sanders said on CNN with Jake Tapper. I have to say this, Jake, and I don t mean to be disrespectful. This guy is a fraud. Sander s reminded Tapper and viewers that Trump ran his campaign by promising to fight Wall Street. This guy ran for president of the United States and said, I, Donald Trump, I m going to take on Wall Street, these guys are getting away with murder. And then suddenly he appoints all these Wall Street billionaires, his major financial adviser comes from Goldman Sachs and now he s going to dismantle legislation that protects consumers. Indeed, Trump claimed during his campaign that he would be tough on Wall Street and would seek to restore laws that were passed after the Great Depression, like Glass-Steagall, that placed regulations on the financial sector designed to prevent the kind of banking practices that caused it in the first place and would also cause the Great Recession in 2008.Sanders also slammed Trump for appointing people who want to destroy Medicare and Social Security despite promising that he would protect both programs. This is a guy who ran for president, saying, I m not going to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, Sanders said. And then he appoints all of these guys who are precisely going to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. In the end, while Sanders conceded that Trump put on a good show to dupe voters, I think he s going to sell out the middle class and the working class of this country. Here s the video via YouTube.Donald Trump does not care about the American people. He only cares about himself and his wealthy buddies. He s a hypocrite for palling around with Goldman Sachs executives and is a liar for making promises to his middle class supporters that he clearly had absolutely no intention of keeping. How many times do his supporters need to get duped before they turn against him?Featured image via Flickr/Flickr | 0 | [
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FMD1620 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Is This a Newly Hatched Dragon? Claim summaries: An image purportedly showing a baby dragon was circulated online.
contextual information: On 29 February 2016, an image purportedly showing a newly hatched baby dragon was shared on Facebook: News Flash... Dragons are to be reintroduced to Wales after an absence of more than 1,000 years. Local conservation groups say they are pleased with the move that will put a large predator back in the food chain. There have been concerns expressed by the farming community due to the risk of predation on livestock, but the Welsh assembly states they are willing to pay compensation to farmers who can prove their losses. The other danger associated with the dragons' eating habits, specifically their preference for virgins, is not thought to be a problem, as they went extinct in Wales many years ago anyway. The above-displayed photo does not, of course, show a real baby dragon. This image was created for a 2008 Photoshop contest on the website Worth 1000. Worth1000.com, which has since moved to DesignCrowd.com, asked digital artists to create their own version of the mythical creature: Dragons. Small and cuddly or big and nasty, Chinese or European, furry or scaly, slick or rough, feathered wings or bat wings, fire-breathing or smoke-snorting, reptile head or lion head, intelligent or instinctual, ancient or modern, living or robotic. Never has there been a fantasy creature so revered and yet so reviled. The rules are as follows: create a dragon of your own making. No illustrations, no modifying someone else's dragon. You may not use sources from fantasy art. You may use photos of dinosaur models, but (as always) the standard copyright rules apply. In addition to the image's source (a site dedicated to digital art contests) and the fact that dragons don't exist, the creator of the digital baby dragon provided the source images used. This is not the first time that rumors suggesting dragons are actually real (complete with "photo proof") have swirled around the internet. In March 2015, images of a dragon sculpture were shared as authentic, and in June 2015, a digital artist added wings to a picture of a Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko and then passed it off as a photo of a real dragon. | 0 | [
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FMD1621 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: We are two moms who have put our lives on hold to do everything in our power to fight the progressives on the left from stealing our freedoms and the future of this great nation from our children. Over four years ago, we started the 100 Percent FED Up! Facebook page with the goal of exposing the truth that so many frustrated Americans were not finding in the mainstream media. We ve suffered several cases of censorship by Facebook along the way, but we never gave up. We may disappear after we publish this article, but we ve made a commitment to exposing the truth and we re not going to back down now.It should frighten every person who uses Facebook, that a CEO of a the largest social media platform in the world, has openly expressed the view that America should give up our national security and follow Germany s lead when it comes to open borders for [Muslim] migrants. I suppose it s easy for billionaires who are surrounded by top security firms, and live a life far removed from the every day American, to say that we should accept these rapists, violent invaders, and YES, members of terror groups disguised as refugees into our neighborhoods and communities. After all, they won t be living next door to Mark Zuckerberg. He will likely never have a single encounter with them in his day to day life.Mark Zuckerberg recently admonished his workers for replacing Black with the word All in Obama s race war motto: Black Lives Matter. For anyone who s paying attention, asking your workers to essentially accept admonishment for being white from a group of domestic terrorists, is a dangerous precedent for an owner of any company, much less the largest social media organization in the world. We need to fight back against this. We need to not be afraid of censorship or the ramifications when we voice our opinions.Mark Zuckerberg praised Germany for their inspiring refugee policies during a visit to the country and reiterated his commitment to combating hate speech on Facebook.Speaking at a town hall event in Berlin, the 31-year old billionaire said German leadership in the refugee crisis has been insipiring and a role model for the world. I hope other countries follow Germany s lead on this, he added. I hope the U.S. follows Germany s lead on this. Speaking at the same event, Zuckerberg also emphasised his commitment to tackling hate speech on Facebook. Hate speech has no place on Facebook and in our community, he said. Until recently in Germany I don t think we were doing a good enough job, and I think we will continue needing to do a better and better job. Zuckerberg added that the company would place a special priority on tackling hate speech against migrants. Facebook s policies, he said, would now include hate speech against migrants as an important part of what we just now have no tolerance for. Zuckerberg was overheard after leaving his microphone on during a conversation about the refugee crisis with Angela Merkel. Are you working on this, the German chancellor asked him, according to Bloomberg. Yeah, he replied.The super-rich tech boss also said we need to do some work on the issue . We are committed to working closely with the German government on this important issue, said Debbie Frost, a Facebook spokeswoman. We think the best solutions to dealing with people who make racist and xenophobic comments can be found when service providers, government and civil society all work together to address this common challenge. Since then, Facebook has dramatically expanded its anti-hate speech efforts, launching a new initiative to combat racist and xenophobic material on social media alongside European NGOs this January. Facebook is also cooperating with a task force set up by the Germany Justice Ministry to hunt down alleged racists on the platform.Some critics fear the social network is working with governments to silence any criticism of the refugee crisis.His censorship comments have now gone viral, provoking a debate about whether it is right to squash unpopular or potentially offensive views. | 0 | [
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FMD1622 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Is ICE offering instruction to civilians in their 'Citizens Academy' to apprehend individuals residing in the country without proper documentation? Claim summaries: An ICE initiative in Chicago aims to "debunk myths" about the agency known for its detention centers and targeting of immigrant communities.
contextual information: As so-called undocumented immigrants in the U.S. struggled to avoid deportation and risked their health during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, government agencies created potential new challenges for them. In July, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) department announced they would be offering a six-day Citizens Academy training starting in September in Chicago, which would allow civilians and ICE officers to engage with each other. struggled risked their health announced Snopes readers shared the following letter from ICE, reportedly sent to potential participants across Chicago, and asked us if it meant the agency would be training civilians to assist in the apprehension of undocumented people. The answer is complicated. letter We found that this was an actual letter sent by ICE. Although they said they were planning to conduct trainings in September and would show civilians how they made arrests, the notion that this would lead to civilians actually apprehending undocumented people was disputed by the agency. Immigration advocates, however, were skeptical. In order to understand the actual nature and likely outcome of these trainings, we reached out to ICE, as well as immigration advocates, and looked at past examples of such academies. According to an ICE press release, the interactive program would occur once a week over six weeks. Participants would learn about ICE policies and procedures from ERO officers, while officers would hear participants perspectives and debunk myths about ICE. press release The curriculum will include, but is not limited to, classroom instruction, visiting an immigration detention center, learning more about the health care ICE provides to those in its custody, and examining ICEs role in ensuring dignity, respect and due process of an immigration case from start to finish. Many in Chicago received letters from ICE inviting them to apply. The letter said, attendees will participate in scenario-based training ... including, but not limited to defensive tactics, firearms familiarization, and targeted arrests. received Nicole Alberico, an ICE spokesperson, responded to Snopes' request for more information about the training (emphasis ours): ...the academy is not to train members of the public to do the work of trained, federal law enforcement officers. ICE ERO Citizens Academy is modeled after other law enforcement community outreach programs including ICEs Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), FBI and local police departments all with the goal of directly engaging and educating the public. Chicago ERO is looking for a diverse set of influential community leaders regardless of their stance on ICE to apply. The spokesperson said that they also had not determined whether media would be permitted to attend the training, as they were considering health precautions because of the pandemic and privacy concerns. In sum, according to their own descriptions, ICE plans on showing civilians how they as an agency carry out arrests but will not be training civilians to do arrests themselves. According to one report, such a Citizens Academy has already taken place in Los Angeles for years, with participants simulating drug busts, arrests, and stakeouts. According to one graduate, the course immersed people in what the agents do. While the Chicago program was to be run by ERO, the Los Angeles Academy was being run under ICEs Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) department. one report simulating The goal of such training appeared to be to get more people to understand ICEs perspective, see how they operate, and eventually construct a positive image of the agency in various communities. There is no available evidence that such trainings led to civilians participating in actual arrests. Testimony from activists, human rights organizations, and reporting show ample proof of ICEs history of violating detainees rights, inhumane arrests of undocumented immigrants, separating children from their parents, and the lack of accountability surrounding their operations. ICE has also used civilian informants before. violating detainees rights arrests lack of accountability civilian informants The Citizens Academy announcement faced swift backlash from activists and government officials, including Chicago's alderman, Rossana Rodriguez, who labeled it a vigilante academy. In July, Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley put forward an amendment to the Homeland Security spending bill, barring agencies like ICE from using government funds to run Citizens Academy courses. vigilante academy forward Immigration activists said these classes were at best propaganda and at worst would train civilians to "snitch" on undocumented immigrants. Lam Nguyen Ho, executive director of Beyond Legal Aid, an organization that provides legal services to immigrants in Chicago, spoke to Snopes about the dangers of such academies: said propaganda ... the best case scenario for this training is ICE doing a marketing campaign to justify continuing to deport undocumented immigrants indiscriminately and separating families inhumanely ... We have immigrants afraid of opening their doors and applying for immigration rights to which they are actually eligible due to the fears and violence they see ... I cant imagine the misinformation and fears that will be created when an agency of our government is basically sanctioning and coordinating neighbors surveilling, profiling, or worse against each other. (Update: The Chicago Citizen's Academy was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, and a new date had not been announced. According to a statement from an ICE official, it will be tentatively scheduled for the spring of 2021.) In sum, ICE confirmed that the Citizens Academy course will take place, but denied they will train civilians to carry out arrests. Based on ICEs history of abuses against immigrant populations, the fears surrounding this particular training aren't unreasonable, but the exact nature and outcome of the training remains to be seen. Based on all of the above factors, we rate this claim a Mixture. Da Silva, Chantal. "DHS Spending Bill Amended to Ban Funding for ICE's Citizen's Academy."
Newsweek. 15 July 2020. Da Silva, Chantal. "ICE Offering 'Citizens Academy' Course with Training on Arresting Immigrants."
Newsweek. 9 July 2020. Gonzalez, Christina."ICE Citizen Academy Causing Uproar in Chicago, Has Been Going on in Los Angeles - for Years."
Fox11 Los Angeles. 11 July 2020. Human Rights Watch. "US: Stop Using Untrained, Abusive Agencies at Protests."
5 June 2020. Kaplan, Emily. "What Isolation Does to Undocumented Immigrants."
The Atlantic. 27 May 2020. Katz, Ryan. "Play to Stay."
The Intercept. 24 September 2018. McFarling, Usha Lee. "Fearing Deportation, Many Immigrants at Higher Risk of Covid-19 Are Afraid to Seek Testing or Care."
StatNews. 15 April 2020. Mejia, Brittny. "At Citizen Academies, Devoted Participants Get Their Law Enforcement Fix."
Los Angeles Times. 3 December 2018. Tashman, Brian. "Congress Needs To Hold ICE Accountable for Abuses."
ACLU. 2 February 2018. Torres, Adry. "ICE Is Offering a Six-week Course on How to Arrest Immigrants - Including 'Firearms and Defensive Training' - as Critics Warns They Are Using Private Citizens As Their Eyes and Ears."
The Daily Mail.8 July 2020. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "ICE Offers First Citizens Academy for Public to Learn More About Agencys Mission in Chicago."
13 July 2020. Zamudio, Maria Ines. "ICE Citizens Trainings May Be a 'Vigilante Academy,' Chicago Alderman Warns."
NPR. 10 July 2020. | 2 | [
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FMD1623 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Written by Jacob G. Hornberger Thursday October 27, 2016 Several weeks ago, contemporaneously with the release of Oliver Stone’s excellent movie Snowden, friends and admirers of Edward Snowden launched a campaign to have President Obama pardon him for disclosing the NSA’s super-secret illegal surveillance scheme to the American people and the world. The reasons for the pardon request were excellently summarized in an op-ed that appeared in the New York Times entitled “ Pardon Edward Snowden ” by Kenneth Roth and Salil Shetty. Not surprisingly, the US national-security establishment and its assets within the mainstream press oppose a pardon for Snowden because, they say, he endangered “national security” with his disclosure of the NSA’s top-secret illegal surveillance programs. But notice something important: Every time someone discloses “national security” state secrets, the east coast doesn’t fall into the ocean, California isn’t hit by earthquakes, and the federal government isn’t taken over by communists, terrorists, Muslims, illegal immigrants, or drug dealers. Nothing ever happens! That’s because, as I point out in my ebook “ The CIA, Terrorism, and the Cold War: The Evil of the National Security State , ever since the federal government was converted into a national security state in the 1940s, the term “national security” has been nothing more than a way to shield criminal wrongdoing on the part of the national-security establishment. Remember MKULTRA? It was a highly classified operation on the part of the CIA. It involved drug experimentation on unsuspecting Americans. It was enveloped within the concept of “national security.” It was also a criminal operation. Once it came to light, the CIA ordered the destruction of all MKULTRA records so that the American people would never discover all the dark and sordid details of this Nazi-like program. The United States remained standing notwithstanding the revelation of the CIA’s national-security state secret. Consider the CIA’s assassination attempts, in partnership with the Mafia, against Cuba’s president Fidel Castro during the 1960s. Those assassination attempts were national-security state secrets. They were also criminal in nature. In fact, they were no different, in a criminal sense, from the assassination of Orlando Letelier by Chile’s DINA, the Chilean CIA-NSA type organization with which the US partnered in the aftermath of the US national-security state’s coup that brought military strongman Augusto Pinochet into power in 1973. Did the United States collapse when the CIA’s assassination plots were revealed to the world? No more so than Chile collapsed when DINA’s assassination plots were revealed to the world. Speaking of DINA, for years the US national-security establishment kept its role in orchestrating the coup in Chile secret from the American people. CIA Director Richard Helms even knowingly lied to Congress when asked about the CIA’s activities in orchestrating the coup. Why did Helms intentionally lie to Congress? To protect “national security,” of course. The CIA’s position was that if people were to discover the role that the US government played in orchestrating the Chilean coup, “national-security” would be threatened. But when the US role in the coup was ultimately disclosed, what happened? Nothing! Well, except for the fact that Helms got convicted for lying to Congress. He was lucky though. They let him off the hook with a misdemeanor plea and probation. When he returned to the CIA, he was hailed by his subordinates for his heroic effort to protect “national security.” Of course, he wasn’t as lucky as DNI Chief James Clapper, who didn’t get prosecuted at all for lying to Congress about the existence of the NSA’s illegal surveillance scheme. Why did Clapper lie to Congress? To protect “national security,” of course. But when the super-secret illegal scheme ultimately came to light, what happened to the United States? Nothing! Another false and fraudulent use of the meaningless term “national security.” It was no different with respect to the CIA’s kidnapping-murder of Rene Schneider, the overall commander of Chile’s armed forces. The CIA felt that it needed to keep its plot against Schneider secret on grounds of “national security,” including its smuggling high-power guns into the country and later its paying off the killers to keep them silent. Once again, they maintained, “national security” dictated secrecy. But when the CIA’s role in Schneider’s kidnapping-murder was ultimately discovered, nothing happened. The United States continued standing. Interestingly, not one single US official was ever charged in the felony-murder of Rene Schneider, whose only “crime” was standing in the way of the US national security establishment’s illegal and unconstitutional (in both Chile and the United States) plot to replace a democratically elected president with a brutal unelected US-supported military general whose forces proceeded to round up, incarcerate, torture, rape, execute, or assassinate tens of thousands of innocent people — that is, people whose only crime was believing in socialism. It was the same with the murder during the coup of two American men, Charles Horman and Frank Teruggi, a murder in which US national-security state officials were complicit. Of course, they kept their involvement in the murder secret under the principle of “national security.” Horman’s “crime” was that he had learned of US complicity in the coup and planned to disclose it to the world. In the eyes of Chilean and US national-security state officials, that obviously constituted a threat to “national security.” Teruggi’s “crime” was that he was a socialist who had opposed the US government’s war in Vietnam. Despite the fact that a top-secret US State Department investigation revealed that US intelligence had played a role in their murder, not one single US official has ever been indicted, much less summoned to appear before Congress to explain why they murdered two innocent American citizens. In a moral sense, it’s not Snowden who needs a pardon. It is the US national-security state that needs a pardon from him … and from the American people for converting our nation into a charnel house of secret, dark, illegal, nefarious actions under the guise of the sham term “national security.” Reprinted with permission from Future of Freedom Foundation . Related | 0 | [
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FMD1624 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: 21st Century Wire says It s hard to not to draw a comparison between the Brexit referendum and the stunning surprise victory of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election in America. Many now argue that both were a repudiation on globalization.Indeed, anxiety over the global economy as a whole contributed to 2016 s historic rejection of the status quo: big trade, big banks and Wall Street.Yesterday in his overseas speech, even President Obama acknowleged that the globalized policies of the world have absolutely contributed to a political upheaval that has given rise to Brexit vote and a Trump presidency: The current path of globalization demands a course correction, adding Any legislation that is proven flawed can be corrected through the process of democracy. Earlier this year, conservative leaning Washington Times discusssed the nature of falied policy that has led to such sluggish growth in the US over the past 7-8 years: The previously bullish Fed finally and openly acknowledged that sluggish growth is the long term new normal for America. Secular stagnation is here to stay. The growth rate has limped out of the 2008-09 recession at a 2 percent pace now for seven years. The Joint Economic Committee of Congress tells us a normal recovery gives us about 3.5 percent growth and the Reagan and JFK booms were closer to 4 percent. So the GDP today thanks to President Obama is about $2 to $3 trillion smaller than it should be. This is roughly the equivalent of losing the entire annual output of every business and worker in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana combined.Instead of speeding up to recover all this lost ground, we re decelerating. Growth was 1.4 percent in the 4th quarter of 2015. It was 0.8 percent in the first quarter of this year. The Fed now has downgraded growth now to less than 2 percent for the rest of 2016 down from an original forecast of 2.4 percent. One day after the US election, The Intercept s Glenn Greenwald (of Snowden fame) captured the frustartion that led to the Brexit vote and Trump s win. Here s a short passage from his piece: The institutions and elite factions that have spent years mocking, maligning, and pillaging large portions of the population all while compiling their own long record of failure and corruption and destruction are now shocked that their dictates and decrees go unheeded. But human beings are not going to follow and obey the exact people they most blame for their suffering. They re going to do exactly the opposite: purposely defy them and try to impose punishment in retaliation. Only time will tell what the future holds for Brexit or Trump but for the moment, the voice of the everyday man has been heard loud and clear.More from Washington s Blog below (Image Source: Onmanorama). Washington s BlogTrumpTrump made rejection of globalization a centerpiece of his campaign. In his July 21st acceptance speech as the Republican nominee, he said:Americanism, not globalism, will be our credo.The Boston Globe bannered this headline on Thursday: Trump won. Globalization lost. Now what? On election night, CNN s Jake Tapper explained that many Americans voted for Trump because they are sick of the income inequality, globalization, and politics-as-usual that the status quo have given us. He pointed out that only a handful of people have gotten rich off of globalization, and a lot of people have been left behind.Counterpunch wrote Friday:The real meaning of this upset is that Wall Street s globalization project has been rejected by the citizens of its homeland.***Trump voters had several reasons to vote for Trump other than racism . Most of all, they want their jobs back, jobs that have vanished thanks to the neoliberal policy of transferring manufacturing jobs to places with low wages.BrexitSimilarly, Brexit was largely a vote against globalization.For example, the Guardian ran an article in June explaining, Brexit is a rejection of globalisation :Britain s rejection of the EU. This was more than a protest against the career opportunities that never knock and the affordable homes that never get built. It was a protest against the economic model that has been in place for the past three decades.***Europe has failed to fulfil the historic role allocated to it. Jobs, living standards and welfare states were all better protected in the heyday of nation states in the 1950s and 1960s than they have been in the age of globalisation. Unemployment across the eurozone is more than 10%. Italy s economy is barely any bigger now than it was when the euro was created. Greece s economy has shrunk by almost a third.***Inevitably, there has been a backlash, manifested in the rise of populist parties on the left and right. An increasing number of voters believe there is not much on offer from the current system. They think globalisation has benefited a small privileged elite, but not them. They think it is unfair that they should pay the price for bankers failings. They hanker after a return to the security that the nation state provided, even if that means curbs on the core freedoms that underpin globalisation, including the free movement of people.***Torsten Bell, the director of the Resolution Foundation thinktank, analysed the voting patterns in the referendum and found that those parts of Britain with the strongest support for Brexit were those that had been poor for a long time. The result was affected by deeply entrenched national geographical inequality , he said.There has been much lazy thinking in the past quarter of a century about globalisation. As Bell notes, it is time to rethink the assumption that a flexible globalised economy can generate prosperity that is widely shared. But What Do the Experts Say?Mainstream economists, organizations and politicians including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (and see this), McKinsey & Company and Obama now admit that globalization creates inequality. People worldwide are furious at runaway inequality and it s affecting elections globally.The Bank of International Settlements the Central Banks Central Bank says that financial globalization itself makes booms and busts far more frequent and destabilizing than they otherwise would be.The Economist pointed out in July:Most economists have been blindsided by the backlash [against globalization]. A few saw it coming. It is worth studying their reasoning .David Autor, David Dorn and Gordon Hanson have documented how the costs of America s growing trade with China has fallen disproportionately on certain cities. And so on.Branko Milanovic of the City University of New York believes such costs perpetuate a cycle of globalisation. He argues that periods of global integration and technological progress generate rising inequality .Supporters of economic integration underestimated the risks both that big slices of society would feel left behind .The New York Times reported in March:Were the experts wrong about the benefits of trade for the American economy?***Voters anger and frustration, driven in part by relentless globalization and technological change [has made Trump and Sanders popular, and] is already having a big impact on America s future, shaking a once-solid consensus that freer trade is, necessarily, a good thing. The economic populism of the presidential campaign has forced the recognition that expanded trade is a double-edged sword, wrote Jared Bernstein, former economic adviser to Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.What seems most striking is that the angry working class dismissed so often as myopic, unable to understand the economic trade-offs presented by trade appears to have understood what the experts are only belatedly finding to be true: The benefits from trade to the American economy may not always justify its costs.In a recent study, three economists David Autor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, David Dorn at the University of Zurich and Gordon Hanson at the University of California, San Diego raised a profound challenge to all of us brought up to believe that economies quickly recover from trade shocks. In theory, a developed industrial country like the United States adjusts to import competition by moving workers into more advanced industries that can successfully compete in global markets.They examined the experience of American workers after China erupted onto world markets some two decades ago. The presumed adjustment, they concluded, never happened. Or at least hasn t happened yet. Wages remain low and unemployment high in the most affected local job markets. Nationally, there is no sign of offsetting job gains elsewhere in the economy. What s more, they found that sagging wages in local labor markets exposed to Chinese competition reduced earnings by $213 per adult per year.In another study they wrote with Daron Acemoglu and Brendan Price from M.I.T., they estimated that rising Chinese imports from 1999 to 2011 cost up to 2.4 million American jobs. These results should cause us to rethink the short- and medium-run gains from trade, they argued. Having failed to anticipate how significant the dislocations from trade might be, it is incumbent on the literature to more convincingly estimate the gains from trade, such that the case for free trade is not based on the sway of theory alone, but on a foundation of evidence that illuminates who gains, who loses, by how much, and under what conditions. Continue reading Washington s Blog here READ MORE ELECTION NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire 2016 FilesSUPPORT 21WIRE SUBSCRIBE NOW & BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV | 0 | [
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FMD1625 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau participated in a forum on Thursday, which was hosted by the New York Times, to discuss current relations between Canada and the United States. Trudeau was as suave as ever for the most part and tried hard to play down the fact that Donald Trump is a raving f*cking lunatic. However, when the conversation turned to Trump s tweets, he accidentally pointed out what an irresponsible child the current President actually is.Trudeau was asked if he has his phone set to notify him when Trump sends out a tweet, like many of us do. Without even trying, the Prime Minister s response made Trump look like a damn fool. There s no question that the way the President chooses to speak directly to people through social media is a new wrinkle in international diplomacy, Trudeau replied. He explained that deciphering how serious to take any given tweet of Trump s is important so that Canada can respond without reacting to a similar level. The interviewers continued to press Trudeau on the matter, asking him if he is in bed, like the rest of us, looking at Twitter at night? And that is when it came. He made Trump look like an absolute moron simply by doing his job and not being a Twitter-obsessed narcissist. No, I tend to focus on the things I need to do, on my job, Trudeau said, causing the audience to burst into laughter. Realizing that he had just unintentionally wiped the floor with Trump, he added, If I get woken up at night, it better be for something more important than a tweet. This just caused the crowd to laugh even harder. By anyone! he said as an afterthought, but the everyone in the room was still howling with laughter.You can watch a video of this exchange below and you can watch Trudeau s entire interview here:Featured image via Win McNamee/Getty Images | 0 | [
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FMD1626 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: The video does not display electric scooter bikes left in a 'graveyard' because of the expensive batteries. Claim summaries: Here's how we solved the mystery of what this viral video truly showed.
contextual information: On Nov. 28, 2022, the@Xx17965797N Twitter accounttweeteda video with a misleading caption that claimed the clip showed a sea of lined-up electric scooter bikes that were abandoned because of the high cost of electric vehicle (EV) battery replacement. The tweet read, "Electric green scooters that have reached end of battery life. Due to the batteries being so expensive to replace, electric scooters are abandoned because disposing of them any other way is dangerous and expensive." tweeted This was not true, despite the tens of thousands of combined retweets and likes that the tweet received. The same video upload from @Xx17965797N was also misleadingly reshared by accounts including@PeterDClack, @JamesMelville, and @MillerForTexas. The former two tweets received thousands of engagements, despite the fact that the information pushed in the original tweet was not true. @PeterDClack @JamesMelville @MillerForTexas In cases like these where a caption is incorrect but the picture or video is real, we issue a fact-check rating of "Miscaptioned." Days before the @Xx17965797N tweet was posted, the@ElevaBrasilES account also misleadingly tweeted that the same video was shot in France. The tweet went up on Nov. 21 with an incorrect caption that read, "Green energy Cemetery of electric motorcycles in France. Now designated as a 'biohazard zone.'" (Note: This mention of France reminded us of other rumors we've debunked in the past, in particular about two photosof other car graveyards. The two pictures showed false captions that claimed the cars had been abandoned due to the high cost of battery replacement, just like the video we're looking at in this fact check.) tweeted two photos The oldest upload of the video that we could find came from TikTok user @smartsetting. The video was uploaded on Nov. 7 and by the end of the month had received nearly 5 million views. Based on watching the video, the scooters appeared to be parked in a parking lot near a basketball court, perhaps in a university complex or public park. Several blurry Chinese characters were visible on the side of the bikes. At the end of the clip, a tall building could be seen on the right-hand side of the frame. Other than those pieces of information, we didn't have much to go on. In order to find the truth behind this video, we first used Adobe Media Encoder to export a JPEG file for each and every frame from the video. The results of this export were 440 individual images from the 14-second video. We then performed numerous reverse image searches with these picture files using Google Images and TinEye.com. These reverse image searches provided several clues as to where other users had reposted the video. However, we did not find any further details from these searches. Next, we tried several searches on Google, Twitter, and YouTube with phrases such as "electric scooter China" and "electric bike graveyard China," among other terms. This helped to find several repostsof the video. The searches alsoshowedresults for many of the sites in China that are the final resting placesfor massive stacks of bicycles dumped by bike-sharing companies with failed business models. Perhaps the most striking video we found was titled, "No Place To PlaceThe Wonders of Shared Bicycle Graveyards in China." several reposts showed results sites final resting places failed business models video At one point in our research, we stumbled upon an AFP videofrom 2021 that appeared to show the same yellow color and model of electric scooter bike. The caption for the clip said that it was captured "outside the city of Shenyang." The end of the video showed a stadium with special colors for seating zones. video model After an exhaustive search, we were able to find this same stadium by using the map tools on the Chinese website Baidu.com. Unlike Google Maps, Baidu.com has street-level views of nearby roads. However, this part of our effort wasn't very helpful. It remained unclear if this was the same location where the viral clip was shot. Baidu.com In the end, it was going back to TikTok that helped us find the origins of the video. A search on TikTok for "electric share bike China" brought us to this video from @evstevepan. The video showed the same kind of yellow electric scooter bike with a similar logo. A scan of the logo using a mobile phone camera and Google Translate revealed the company name Meituan, which is known as an "all-encompassing platform for local services." this video We then searched the internet for Meituan and electric scooters, which produced plenty of pictures on Shutterstock.com. For a moment, the two large characters on the side of the scooter didn't seem to match those from the viral video. We then horizontally flipped a still-frame from the viral video, which led us to discover that it had been mirrored, meaning that all words and numbers were backward. plenty of pictures All of these developments in our research led us to news articles that helped to show our findings were lining up. In April 2018, news broke that Meituan had purchased the company Mobike for $2.7 billion. According to the story, Mobike is "a Chinese startup that helped pioneer bike-sharing services worldwide." broke But by November of that same year, TechCrunch reported that Meituan would be "[walking] away from bike-sharing and ride-hailing," as there wasn't enough demand from customers for the supply of its bike-sharing venture: reported In April, Meituan entered the bike-sharing fray after it scooped up top player Mobike for $2.7 billion to face off Alibaba-backed Ofo. Over the past few years, Mobike and Ofo were burning through large sums of investor money in a bid to win users from subsidized rides, but both have shown signs of softening their stance recently. Mobike is downsizing its fleets to "avoid an oversupply" as the bike-sharing market falters, Meituan's chief financial officer Chen Shaohui said during the earnings call. Ofo has also scaled back by closing down many of its international operations... During its third quarter that ended September 30, Meituan posted a 97.2 percent jump on revenues to 19.1 billion yuan, or $2.75 billion, on the back of strong growth in food delivery transactions. The firm's investments in new initiatives including ride-hailing and bike-sharing took a toll as operating losses nearly tripled to 3.45 billion yuan compared to a year ago. Meituan shares plunged as much as 14 percent on Friday, the most since its spectacular listing. Just as so many electric bicycles from bike-sharing companies had piled up across China, so had electric scooters like the ones seen in the viral video. In sum, social media users falsely claimed that a video showed tons of lined-up electric scooter bikes that were abandoned in a "graveyard" due to the high cost of EV battery replacement. All evidence pointed to a simple answer: supply and demand. The number of electric scooter bikes and bicycles far outnumbered the number of people who requested to use them (or else they went missing or were stolen), which resulted in downsizing by some companies, and the closure of others.The clip appears to have been shot in China, although its precise location is unclear. far outnumbered went missing or were stolen We reached out to Meituan for comment on Nov. 29 but did not receive a response in time for publication. 25 2022 . ELDORADO, https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gbI2Bo2xKCc. A Veces Hay Cosas Que Duelen y Desesperan. Lamenta, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmV5lBEYEMU. @Atomicfact. Twitter, 14 Aug. 2018, https://twitter.com/atomicfact/status/1029352130086424576. Baidu. https://map.baidu.com/. @BBC. "The Problem of China's Huge Bike Graveyards." Twitter, 20 May 2018, https://twitter.com/bbc/status/998231947359997952. @ElevaBrasilES. Twitter, 21 Nov. 2022, https://twitter.com/elevabrasiles/status/1594826198831570947. @evstevepan. "Share Electric Scooter in China #electricscooter #china #vlog." TikTok, 25 Sept. 2022, https://www.tiktok.com/@evstevepan/video/7147290373868506411. Freer. "Meituan Electric Shared Bikes on the Street." Shutterstock, 19 May 2020, https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/zhongshan-guangdong-chinamay-19-2020meituan-electric-1736816009. Google Images. https://images.google.com/. Google Translate. https://translate.google.com/. "Graveyard of the Bikes: Aerial Photos of China's Failed Share-Cycle Scheme Show Mountains of Damaged Bikes." The Straits Times via AFP, 21 Apr. 2021, https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/graveyard-of-the-bikes-chinas-failed-share-cycle-scheme-from-above. "Graveyard of the Bikes: China's Failed Share-Cycle Scheme from Above." Techxplore.com via AFP, 21 Apr. 2021, https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-graveyard-bikes-china-share-cycle-scheme.html. @JamesMelville. Twitter, 29 Nov. 2022, https://twitter.com/jamesmelville/status/1597532727338639360. Liao, Rita. "Meituan, China's 'everything App,' Walks Away from Bike Sharing and Ride Hailing." TechCrunch, 23 Nov. 2018, https://techcrunch.com/2018/11/23/meituan-scale-back-ride-hailing-and-bike-sharing/. @mbrennanchina. Twitter, 4 Dec. 2018, https://twitter.com/mbrennanchina/status/1069940186786775042. @MillerForTexas. Twitter, 28 Nov. 2022, https://twitter.com/millerfortexas/status/1597346555111280640. No Place To PlaceThe Wonders of Shared Bicycle Graveyards in China. Guoyong Wu, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDfLWFv3ixk. @PeterDClack. Twitter, 28 Nov. 2022, https://twitter.com/peterdclack/status/1597371847397761024. Russell, Jon. "Chinese Bike-Sharing Pioneer Mobike Sold to Ambitious Meituan Dianping for $2.7B." TechCrunch, 3 Apr. 2018, https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/03/chinese-bike-sharing-pioneer-mobike-sold-to-ambitious-meituan-dianping-for-2-7b/. Shared Electric Bikes Roll into Changsha in Central China. CGTN, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkSUN-FSuNI. Siqi, Ji. "Taxpayers Foot the Clean-up Bill for China's Bike-Sharing Bust." South China Morning Post, 2 Oct. 2020, https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3103908/what-happens-discarded-bikes-chinas-sharing-boom-taxpayers. Sprawling Bike Graveyard from China's Failed Share-Cycle Scheme. AFP News Agency, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N1Qxs_KOYo. TinEye Reverse Image Search. https://tineye.com/. u/silvertomars. "A Graveyard for Electric Scooters the Batteries Have Reached the End of Their Life-Time, but Are Too Expensive to Replace and Safely Disposing or Recycling the Batteries Is Also Too Expensive." r/Wallstreetsilver via Reddit.com, 28 Nov. 2022, https://www.reddit.com/r/Wallstreetsilver/comments/z7i7ng/a_graveyard_for_electric_scooters_the_batteries/. @vegastarr. Twitter, 28 Nov. 2022, https://twitter.com/vegastarr/status/1597338236472659968. @Xx17965797N.Twitter, 28 Nov. 2022, https://twitter.com/xx17965797n/status/1597310309139873792. Yan, Alice. "Chinese Bike-Share Firm Closes after 90 per Cent of Cycles Stolen." South China Morning Post, 21 June 2017, https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2099293/chinese-bike-share-firm-closes-after-90-cent-cycles-stolen. | 0 | [
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FMD1627 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Did MLK Say 'Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness; Only Light Can Do That'? Claim summaries: The late Rev. King is frequently misquoted on the internet, and, as always, we're here to clear it up.
contextual information: The late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., known for his eloquence and ability to mobilize the masses throughout the Civil Rights era, is often incorrectly credited with quotes that he never said. One of the most famous lines attributed to King is typically quoted as, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." In January 2024, this quote was even posted on the official X (formerly Twitter) page of the State of Israel. "???????? ?????? ????? ??? ????????, ???? ????? ??? ?? ????. ???? ?????? ????? ??? ????, ???? ???? ??? ?? ????." - ?????? ?????? ???? ??. Today we mark Martin Luther King pic.twitter.com/QJaIbnF42r pic.twitter.com/QJaIbnF42r Israel ?? (@Israel) January 15, 2024. These words were indeed written by King. However, for more than a decade, there has been confusion regarding the precise wording of the quote. In 2011, following the killing of Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, a version of the quote went viral on the internet. It stated: "I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Given that it followed the controversial killing of bin Laden, the quote spread across the internet with impressive reach, especially for the time. Penn Jillette, a famous magician and outspoken libertarian, tweeted the quote to his 1.6 million Facebook followers, and it continued to go viral from there. Questions about whether the quote was presented accurately were picked up by The Atlantic, NPR, and other news outlets. They found the wording was correct except for the very first sentence, which was not found in King's speeches or writings: "I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy." As it turns out, however, Jillette was only a perpetuator, not the originator, of the erroneous version of the quote. Before Jillette shared it, Facebook user Jessica Dovey quoted the King passage correctly on her status but prefaced it with a sentence expressing her own personal thoughts: "I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy." She distinguished her own thoughts from King's via an opening quotation mark, which was dropped somewhere along the line as it gained internet traction. The complete quote by King, which can be found in his 1963 book "Strength to Love," reads as follows: "Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. So when Jesus says, 'Love your enemies,' he is setting forth a profound and ultimately inescapable admonition. Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies—or else? The chain reaction of evil—hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars—must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation." Commenters on Israel's X post quoting King were quick to point to a clarification provided by Bernice King, MLK's youngest daughter, on Oct. 31, 2023, regarding her father's stance on Israel. "Certainly, my father was against antisemitism, as am I. He also believed militarism (along with racism and poverty) to be among the interconnected Triple Evils. I am certain he would call for Israel's bombing of Palestinians to cease, for hostages to be released." We've previously written on other rumors related to King, including whether the FBI sent a letter telling him to kill himself and whether King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, paid the hospital bill for actress Julia Roberts' birth. | 1 | [
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FMD1628 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Internet Taxation Moratorium Claim summaries: Will a moratorium on Internet taxation expire on 1 November 2003?
contextual information: Claim: A moratorium on Internet taxation expires in 2007. Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2003] This should be considered "urgent". As you know the "MORTORIUM" on the so called internet tax expires in 2 or 3 days. It was reported on Fox News a few minutes ago, that the Senate is now considering this bill. The House has passed their version of the Bill by Voice vote to keep the moratorium in place. The news on fox reported that the Senate is considering a "TAX ON EVERY ITEM ON THE INTERNET TO INCLUDE a TAX ON EACH EMAIL SENT OUT." I have voiced my opinion to the offices of Sen. Thad Cochran and Sen. Trent Lott, I have asked them to vote AGAINST ANY TAX. The Staff members said they would relay my feeling. I also told them I wanted to know how my two Senators voted on this. I would suggest that each addressee call today and ask their Senators to VOTE against any TAXES on the internet. Origins: In October 1998, Congress enacted the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA), which called for a 3-year moratorium on state and local taxes on Internet access and multiple or discriminatory taxes on e-commerce. After the provisions of ITFA expired in October 2001, they were extended for two years by passage of the Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act (ITNA), then extended again for a further four years in ITFA ITNA 2003. The Internet Tax Non-Discrimination Act, a piece of legislation intended to extend the moratorium enacted by the Internet Tax Freedom Act, was introduced to Congress in 2003. It was passed (as H.R. 49) by the House of Representatives on 17 September 2003 (under a motion to suspend the rules, agreed to by voice vote), passed by the Senate (as S. 150) on 19 November 2004, and signed by President Bush and made into law on 3 December 2004. It is set to expire on 1 November 2007. passed S. 150 The 2003 claim that the Senate was considering a "tax on every item on the Internet, to include a tax on each e-mail sent out" was incorrect. The Senate was merely considering whether or not to extend the moratorium on Internet taxes created by the earlier Internet Tax Freedom Act and Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act; the Senate was not proposing any specific Internet-related taxes at that time. As described by The New York Times, the bill hung up in 2003 in a Senate debate over whether a permanent moratorium on Internet taxes might eventually become too broad a ban and deprive states of much-needed revenue streams: The argument over the bill has been as heated as a chat-room brawl. Opponents contend that state coffers will be emptied as more areas of commerce like telephone service become Internet-based and fall within the ban. "Every time we, in our wisdom, tell a state or a city that it cannot use this tax, all we are doing is increasing the chance that Minnesota or Tennessee will increase some other tax, or fire some teachers or lay off some employees or close some parks," Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee, said Tuesday on the Senate floor. Supporters argue that the states want to tax every e-mail message, even every electron. The bill, they say, will not have the dire effects that opponents predict. The only thing that both sides agree on, it seems, is that the bill has nothing to do with banning sales taxes on online purchases. The moratorium bans taxes on Internet access, including high-speed access through telephone digital subscriber lines; "discriminatory" taxes, which include taxes by multiple states on the sales of a single item; and taxes that would treat Internet purchases differently from sales at brick-and-mortar stores. Sources: Dalrymple, Mary. "Permanent Ban on Internet Service Taxes Bogs Down as Temporary Ban Runs Out." Associated Press. 31 October 2003. McCullagh, Declan. "Ban on Internet Access Tax Stalls in Senate." CNET News.com. 7 November 2003. Schwartz, John. "Senate Debate Due on Hotly Contested Internet Tax Bill." The New York Times. 6 November 2003 (p. C1). Shiver Jr., Jube "Internet Tax Ban Stalls in Senate." Los Angeles Times. 26 November 2003 (p. C3). Bloomberg News. "Senate Postpones Vote on Internet Tax Ban." The New York Times. 8 November 2003 (p. C1). | 1 | [
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FMD1629 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Change at the Federal Reserve could come quickly with President-elect Donald Trump’s team pledging to promptly fill high-level central bank jobs and roll out a tax and fiscal plan that could rewrite policymakers’ core economic assumptions. Fed officials already say their plan to gradually increase interest rates may need to be accelerated to accommodate the new administration’s economic proposals, which could push inflation higher. The concerns for Fed Chair Janet Yellen are broader as she faces a 14-month window to preserve her legacy and try to ensure the central bank’s independence in the face of a possible four or more Trump appointees to its seven-member Board of Governors. Yellen’s term as Fed chief expires in February 2018, and Trump is likely to name a successor in synch with his desire to cut financial regulation, lower corporate taxes, reorder fiscal policy, and possibly impose some of the constraints on the Fed that Republicans in Congress have long advocated. Yellen, 70, a ranking Fed official for the past 12 years and the top U.S. central banker since 2014, laid out a long list of concerns during recent questioning before Congress: that any fiscal boost not blow up the deficit and be tailored to improve growth and productivity; that the regulations crafted after the 2007-2009 financial crisis not be trashed; that the Fed not be hamstrung by policy rules or political pressure. “There is clear evidence of better outcomes in countries where central banks can take the long view, are not subject to short-term political pressures,†Yellen said in her testimony. “Sometimes central banks need to do things that are not immediately popular.†Fed officials would not comment on whether Trump and Yellen have spoken, or describe the contact so far between the central bank and the Republican businessman’s transition team. Trump transition officials could not be reached for comment. It remains unclear how deep a stamp Trump wants to put on the Fed, or what he feels about issues like central bank independence that are fundamental to Yellen and her peers. Trump’s sharp comments about Yellen during the presidential campaign, when he accused her of setting monetary policy to help Democrats, rattled Fed officials who felt he had crossed a line. But it is not known whether he’ll be content to merely change personnel | 1 | [
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FMD1630 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: By Djuan Wash / filmsforaction.org
One cannot claim to be intersectional while at the same time being elitist and exclusionary. Everyone isn't hip to what heteronormativity, heterosexism, cisgendered, cissexism or many new-age terms mean. You can't write people off for not being where you are or prescribing to your beliefs. Being intersectional means to love and support people where they are and assist them in their efforts at gaining a better understanding of intersectional social justice. While the work ultimately lies on the individual to read/research further once you enlighten them, you can't do that if you brow beat them for being ignorant. If you're unwilling to meet people where they are, you're not being intersectional, you're being an asshole. This work is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License 4.0 · | 0 | [
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FMD1631 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: With its grasslands and oppressive heat, the middle of the Namib Desert may seem like a strange place to go fishing. Yet there Jennifer Guyton and Tyler Coverdale were, standing in a sea of orange sand and brittle yellow grass with their carp pole. But the two Princeton graduate students weren’t trying to catch some sort of dogfish or a literal “sand shark. †That would be absurd. Instead, they had swapped the hook with a camera so they could investigate the scenery around something much more scientifically sensible: fairy circles. That is what scientists call the mysterious bald spots speckled across Namibia’s grasslands. The rings are six feet to 115 feet wide and are regularly spaced out in a hexagon or honeycomb pattern. As their ethereal name would imply, fairy circles have long bewildered researchers as to their origins. But a new study published on Wednesday in the journal Nature that Ms. Guyton and Mr. Coverdale were involved in seeks to offer some insights into how the enchanting landscapes may have formed. Although the name fairy circles sounds sweet and peaceful, there is passionate scientific disagreement over how they arise, and the two prevailing hypotheses have become adversaries in the dispute. One side suggests that termites, locked in competition with neighboring colonies, create the circles as they fight for dominance and resources. The other says that perpetually thirsty plants simultaneously assist and compete with their neighbors’ roots, causing the vegetation to “ †into the patterns. The new study suggests that termites and plants may be jointly responsible for forming fairy circle landscapes in Namibia. And it has received mixed reviews from scientists entrenched in the dispute. “We thought both sides of the debate bring in compelling arguments for each of these mechanisms, so why should it be one or the other?†said Corina Tarnita, an ecologist from Princeton University and the study’s author. Dr. Tarnita worked with Juan Bonachela, a mathematician from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, to test the termite and plant explanations in a computer model. They found that either hypothesis could generate the fairy circle features. But when they tested both mechanisms together, the model revealed a second, smaller pattern hidden within the clumps of grass between the fairy circles. “Everyone was focusing on the circles and not what was happening in between them,†said Robert M. Pringle, an ecologist at Princeton and another author on the paper. The next step for the team was to confirm that this second vegetation pattern existed in nature. So they sent Ms. Guyton and Mr. Coverdale to Namibia in 2015 with their camera and fishing pole. Ms. Guyton said that each of the grassy patterns was as different as fingerprints, but were mathematically similar. By comparing the photos with their model, the team verified that the second pattern did exist in the grass surrounding the Namibian fairy circles. That finding, they said, confirmed that their mathematics reflected reality and suggested that only by interacting together could insects and plants create the landscape that characterizes Namibian fairy circles. Some fairy circle experts firmly placed in either team termite or team plant had strong doubts about the paper’s findings, while others welcomed it. Norbert Juergens, a biologist from the University of Hamburg in Germany who published the study that said termites engineer fairy circles agreed with the overall findings and said that he hoped they would “be an for all those who since 2013 questioned the termite hypothesis. †Stephan Getzin, an ecologist at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany, was not persuaded, saying in an email that the paper was unable to account for the presence of fairy circles where sand termites were completely absent, as in Australia. “Logically, if there are fairy circles without the presence of termites, the termite theory cannot be considered as a strong explanation for the phenomenon,†he said. Dr. Tarnita responded that their model showed that both termites and plants could make the fairy circles, but that the entire system, which includes the vegetation and the patterns seen in the Namibian fairy circles, needed both. Walter R. Tschinkel, a retired entomologist from Florida State University who was not involved in the study, said in an email that the assumptions the team made about termites in their computer model were untested. “There is no evidence that the real termite Psammotermes allocerus does what the computer ‘termite’ does,†he said. But Max Rietkerk, an environmental scientist from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, said that the authors showed that the two hypotheses could have worked together in Namibia’s fairy circles. He also agreed, however, that the argument could use more empirical evidence. Dr. Pringle defended the use of their model, pointing out that it drove the team to discover new empirical evidence that no one had found before, the grass patterns. Despite the team’s attempt to solve the mystery, it seems the fairy circle scuffle flutters on. | 1 | [
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FMD1632 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Kenny Wells, the feckless owner of a Nevada mining company, is the latest entry in the Matthew McConaughey gallery of charming rogues. Swaybacked and paunchy, with a thinning dome and an appetite for Winstons and Seagram’s that would keep both brands in business if the rest of the world went cold turkey, Kenny doesn’t quite have the wolfish charisma or the mystical intensity of some of Mr. McConaughey’s other recent characters. But like them — like Mick Haller in “The Lincoln Lawyer,†Ron Woodroof in “Dallas Buyers Club†and that guy in those car commercials — he is fun to watch and hard not to root for. “Gold,†which chronicles a few of Kenny’s rises and falls in the 1980s, describes itself as “inspired by actual events,†but inspiration is precisely what the film, directed by Stephen Gaghan from a script by Patrick Massett and John Zinman, seems to lack. Mr. McConaughey is a ball of profane, entrepreneurial energy bouncing around in a vacuum. The story swings from the Nevada desert to the Indonesian rain forest to Wall Street boardrooms, and the screen bristles with signifiers of capitalist activity: meetings, phone calls, stock tickers. But the movie isn’t really doing any work. It’s just looking busy. Having nearly run the family prospecting business into the ground (so to speak) Kenny gambles on the expertise of a Mike Acosta (Édgar RamÃrez) a geologist with an almost mystical reputation. They strike gold in Indonesia, and a gilded future opens up for Kenny and his longtime girlfriend, Kaylene (Bryce Dallas Howard). There are shadows and complications, of course, including the corruptions of wealth, the treachery of rivals and Kenny’s own impulsiveness. Broad hints are dropped that things will end badly. But enough goes wrong along the way — with the movie, I mean, not with Mike and Kenny’s scheme — to make the outcome feel almost moot. The film is well cast: You can’t really go wrong with Bill Camp, Corey Stoll, Stacy Keach and Bruce Greenwood. It’s beautifully shot (you can’t go wrong with Robert Elswit, either). There is a pleasingly sleazy, swaggering, ’80s vibe. And there are flickering reminders of other ambitious, mock epics, as if the filmmakers were hoping an algorithm would deposit “Gold†in the queues of viewers who liked “American Hustle,†“The Big Short†and Mr. Gaghan’s own “Syriana. †With this material, he could have gone in any number of interesting directions, which may have been part of the problem. “Gold†could have been a biting satire of greed and folly, a tale of Western misadventure in Asia, a rousing fable of underdog triumph or a caper comedy. It tries, in its frantic, clumsy fashion, to be all of those things, and comes close enough to succeeding to qualify as an honorable failure. What holds your attention is the question of whether that description fits Kenny as well. He could just as well be the opposite — a dishonorable success. He is far from a subtle guy, but Mr. McConaughey is a sly enough actor to make us wonder whether we’re in the company of a fool or a con artist and to make us question whether there’s really a difference. His wild, abrasive and improbably delicate performance is what makes “Gold†watchable, even if the rest of the movie doesn’t supply sufficient reason to keep watching. | 1 | [
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FMD1633 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Austin Energy is considering its first rate increase since 1994.
contextual information: Answering a question for the May 1Voters Guidefrom the League of Women Voters of the Austin Area, City Council hopeful Kathie Tovo made us check our pocketbooks. Tovo said: Austin Energy, the citys electric utility, is considering its first rate increase since 1994.We wondered about that, since our first thought was that surely electric bills went up during that time. Tovos campaign manager, Mark Yznaga, told us Tovo was referring to the utilitys base charge for electricity. News reports and posts on Austin Energys website show hearings are expected to culminate in the City Council considering a rate bump as soon as later this year.The utility says in aJanuary Austin Energy Rate Review newsletterthat since 1994, its added more than 100,000 customers, experienced big increases in the cost of materials and services and added business functions while expanding others such as energy efficiency and solar rebate programs. At the same time, the article says growth in Austin Energy electric sales has trended downward of late, requiring the utility to dip into its reserves for operations.Echoing the newsletter article, Austin Energy spokesman Ed Clark told us the base electric rate, covering the costs of staff, the electric system, power plants, vehicles and the like, has not changed since 1994. Its 3.55 cents for each of the first 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity used and 7.82 cents for each additional kilowatt-hour. Clark said customers also pay an unchanged $6 monthly service charge,Yet that doesnt mean theyve paid the same amount for electricity every year.Their bills include such variables as a fee for statewide transmission costs added by the Texas Public Utility Commission in November plus a fluctuating fee tied to ups and downs in fuel costs. At our request, Clark told us what an average residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month would have been billed each August from 1994 through 2011. For the period, we calculate, the fuel charge averaged 2.322 cents per kilowatt-hour, though its exceeded that every year from 2004 on.In 1994, the bill for 1,000 kilowatt-hours would have been $79.14. In 2010, the bill for using that much electricity was $100.20 -- an increase of 27 percent. In August 2011, the same usage would be billed $94.72, due to a drop in the fuel charge. Put another way, the 2011 charge looks to be 20 percent more than what it cost a customer using the same amount of electricity in 1994.A-ha! Is it really fair to say Austin Energys rates have not increased since 1994?Well, we realized, our comparison failed to consider inflation over the years. According to our check using theConsumer Price Index inflation calculatorposted online by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2011 bill actually ends up about $15 less than the comparable 1994 bill. When we ran this by Austin economist Stuart Greenfield, he pointed out that according to a finer inflation adjustment tied to household energy prices, the average August 2010 bill was about $33 less than what it was in 1994.At a glance, still, Tovos statement could leave the misimpression that utility customers havent had to dig out more dollars for electricity since 1994. They have. We rate the statement Mostly True. | 1 | [
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FMD1634 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Hillary Clinton's $12,000 Armani Jacket Claim summaries: Outrage over an expensive Armani jacket worn by Hillary Clinton during her New York primary acceptance speech included some inaccurate details.
contextual information: In early June 2016, Facebook users widely shared articles reporting that Hillary Clinton wore a $12,495 Giorgio Armani jacket to deliver a speech on income inequality. The underlying implication was that Clinton's interest in the plight of middle-class Americans was visibly superficial. Interest in the claim began with a New York Post article that focused not on the jacket, but on Clinton's general wardrobe choices on the campaign trail. Its title referenced the "surprising strategy behind Hillary Clinton's designer wardrobe," and the piece began by noting that Clinton's appearance and style have been publicly scrutinized and mocked for decades. Clinton's New York primary victory speech in April addressed topics including income inequality, job creation, and helping people secure their retirement. It was a clear attempt to position herself as an everywoman. But an everywoman she is not; she gave the speech in a $12,495 Giorgio Armani tweed jacket. The polished outfit was a stark contrast to the fashion choices Clinton had made in the past. As First Lady, Clinton wore frumpy pastel skirtsuits. As a New York senator and secretary of state, she attempted a more serious look, wearing pantsuits in a rainbow of colors—so mocked that they sparked memes. In comparison to Michelle Obama, who has become known as a style icon during her time in the White House and appeared on the cover of Vogue twice, Clinton has never been able to nail down a personal aesthetic that works for her. The article speculated (but didn't confirm) that Clinton paid full price for the clothing and did not wear it on loan from its designers. The paper also suggested that Clinton's fashion choices negatively affected her public perception in the past. The cost of men's suits worn by fellow politicians didn't appear in the article for contrast: It's a marked shift from Clinton's 2008 run, when she regularly recycled outfits such as blue-and-tangerine pantsuits from DC-based designer Nina McLemore. But just like Clinton's fashion choices of the past, the makeover could turn out to be divisive. On one side will be those who say it's an appropriate expense for Clinton, given that she's in the unprecedented position of running for president as a woman—and looking the part is crucial to her success. On the other side are those who will see her spending as being out of touch with her message. Not long after Clinton's 2016 campaign looks were dissected by the Post, a litany of items condensed the article to a single headline: It's true that the jacket was from Giorgio Armani's collection and bore a list price of $12,495. But on June 8, 2016, the jacket's actual retail price was $7,497, and the jacket can now be had for about one-third of that list price. The Post speculated that Clinton paid for the clothing out of pocket, but the website Fashionista, in turn, said that might not necessarily be the case: The Post also posits that Clinton must be spending her own money on all these clothes, as no designer is taking credit for dressing her as they do with First Lady Obama; with Anna Wintour backing her campaign, it would not be outrageous to think that designers might also be quietly gifting clothing to Clinton. (The Post also attacks Clinton's style by mentioning that Michelle Obama has nabbed the cover of Vogue twice; it would be worth noting that Clinton has her own cover of Vogue, for which she wore Oscar de la Renta.) It's unclear whether Clinton purchased expensive clothing for such major appearances (such as her New York speech in April 2016), and it's possible she was loaned articles of clothing to wear by major designers. Stylists Jennifer Rade and Rebecca Klein of Media Style told CNBC that no matter what Clinton did, she would be criticized for her sartorial choices: CNBC But Clinton is "damned if she does, damned if she doesn't," said Rade. If Clinton were to wear a lower-priced wardrobe, she would be criticized for not wearing the same caliber of clothing as her competitors. "It's not appropriate for the forum," Klein said. "She is a presidential candidate. That would be disrespectful... She is dressing for the occasion." A June 2014 Associated Press article examined the matter of the contents of White House closets, noting that as an issue, the debate went back at least as far as Mary Todd Lincoln. The outlet noted that some clothing was gifted to Michelle Obama under specific circumstances: In recent weeks, Mrs. Obama has turned heads with a forest-green Naeem Khan dress and shimmered in a silver Marchesa gown ... her flowered shirtdress for a Mother's Day tea at the White House (recycled from an earlier event) hit just the right note for an audience of military moms. It takes money to pull that off, month after month. Those three dresses by themselves could add up to more than $15,000 retail, not to mention accessories such as shoes and jewelry. Is it the taxpayers who foot the bill? No. (Despite what critics say.) Is it Mrs. Obama? Usually, but not always. Does she pay full price? Not likely. Does she ever borrow gowns from designers? No. The financing of the first lady's wardrobe is something that the Obama White House is loath to discuss. It's a subject that has bedeviled presidents and their wives for centuries. First ladies are expected to dress well, but the job doesn't come with a clothing allowance or a salary. Here's how Joanna Rosholm, press secretary to the first lady, explains it: "Mrs. Obama pays for her clothing. For official events of public or historic significance, such as a state visit, the first lady's clothes may be given as a gift by a designer and accepted on behalf of the U.S. government. They are then stored by the National Archives." The claim also included that Ms. Clinton wore the designer piece to "deliver a speech about income inequality." The Post originally reported that "Clinton's New York primary victory speech in April focused on topics including income inequality, job creation, and helping people secure their retirement," an opener widely condensed to "a speech about income inequality." But in fact, neither claim was accurate; the full text of Clinton's April 2016 New York speech was available online, and the words "income inequality" didn't appear a single time. The wide-ranging speech only briefly touched on a theme of "income inequality," in a much broader sense than the rumor suggested: Now, we all know many people who are still hurting. I see it everywhere I go. The Great Recession wiped out jobs, homes, and savings, and a lot of Americans haven't yet recovered. But I still believe with all my heart that as another greater Democratic President once said, there's nothing wrong with America that can't be cured by what's right with America. That is, after all, what we've always done. It's who we are. America is a problem-solving nation. And in this campaign, we are setting bold progressive goals backed up by real plans that will improve lives, creating more good jobs that provide dignity and pride in a middle-class life, raising wages and reducing inequality, making sure all our kids get a good education no matter what zip code they live in, building ladders of opportunity and empowerment so all of our people can go as far as their hard work and talent will take them. Let's revitalize places that have been left out and left behind, from inner cities to coal country to Indian country. And let's put Americans to work rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, including our failing water systems like the one in Flint, Michigan. There are many places across our country where children and families are at risk from the water they drink and the air they breathe. Let's combat climate change and make America the clean energy superpower of the 21st century. Let's take on the challenge of systemic racism, invest in communities of color, and finally pass comprehensive immigration reform. And once and for all, let's guarantee equal pay for women. After the Republican National Convention (RNC) in July 2016, Hillary Clinton's infamous Armani jacket was again negatively compared to the dress worn at the convention by GOP nominee Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka, an item of clothing (from Ivanka's own label) that retails for $158. Trump's wife Melania, however, opted for a pricier Margot dress by Roksanda, which retails for $2,190. | 2 | [
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FMD1635 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Tensions between the White House and Benjamin Netanyahu escalated Wednesday as top administration officials condemned the Israeli prime minister’s plan to address Congress next week and Netanyahu accused six world powers, including the United States, of “giving up on their commitment†to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
The unusually public spat marked one of the lowest points in a relationship that has long bonded the two countries. Although the new round of recriminations reflected the frosty personal relations between President Obama and Netanyahu, it came at a critical juncture in multilateral talks designed to prevent Iran from using a civilian program to develop a nuclear weapon.
The prime minister has said the unfolding deal — to which Iran has not yet agreed — could pose an existential threat to the Jewish state. Obama, however, considers a deal a potential legacy that could ease nuclear tensions, lift trade restrictions on Iran and alter the region’s strategic calculus.
Congressional Democrats have been caught in the middle of the dispute. On Wednesday, Sen. Timothy M. Kaine (D-Va.) became the fourth senator to say he would skip Netanyahu’s speech, calling its timing “highly inappropriate.†Several members of the House also have said they will boycott the speech.
The latest volley of high-level criticism began when national security adviser Susan E. Rice, appearing Tuesday night on “Charlie Rose,†condemned Netanyahu’s decision to accept the invitation of House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) to appear at a joint meeting of Congress shortly before Israel’s elections.
By bypassing the White House, dealing only with GOP leaders and scheduling the speech just before Israelis vote, Netanyahu had “injected a degree of partisanship, which is not only unfortunate,†Rice said, “I think it’s destructive of the fabric of the relationship.â€
At a Likud political convention in the Maale Adumim settlement just east of Jerusalem, Netanyahu fired back. “I respect the White House and the president of the United States, but on such a critical topic that could determine whether we exist or not, it is my duty to do everything to prevent this great danger to the state of Israel,†he said.
Congress could play a critical role in the Iran talks. It is weighing whether to add new sanctions to the current ones.
The existing sanctions, and those adopted by the European Union, are widely viewed as having helped push Iran to the bargaining table.
But Obama has vowed to veto any new sanctions and has urged Congress to wait at least a month for the outcome of the negotiations. Obama has said that if the talks fail, he will move to tighten economic restrictions.
Secretary of State John F. Kerry defended the administration’s negotiations in testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee — and took a swipe at Netanyahu.
“I’ll tell you, Israel is safer today with the added time we have given and the stoppage of the advances of the Iranian nuclear program than before,†Kerry said. Referring to the accord that eased sanctions slightly while negotiations took place, he said: “We got that agreement — which, by the way, the prime minister opposed. He was wrong. And today he’s saying we should be extending that interim agreement.â€
No love has been lost between Obama and Netanyahu.
“This is clearly the most dysfunctional relationship between an American and Israeli leader,†said Aaron David Miller, a vice president at the Wilson Center and a former U.S. negotiator and adviser in Republican and Democratic administrations. Moreover, he said, “the durability is troubling.â€
He said that earlier tensions preceded incremental peace accords but that Obama and Netanyahu remain far apart on basic issues and that Kerry’s efforts to bring Israel and Palestinians together failed.
Now their personal tensions have put Democratic lawmakers in awkward positions that threaten bipartisanship when it comes to Israel.
Democrats have been wrestling over whether to boycott the speech, as senior Obama administration officials plan to do. This will be the third time Netanyahu has addressed the full Congress, tying Winston Churchill’s record.
Because Netanyahu did not arrange his visit through the White House, Obama has said that he will not meet with him, and Vice President Biden has made plans to travel abroad.
“This puts Democrats in a position where they have to choose between their support for Israel and their Democratic president — and do it in a very visible way,†said Martin Indyk, a vice president at the Brookings Institution and a former U.S. ambassador to Israel.
“There is no reason to schedule this speech before Israeli voters go to the polls on March 17 and choose their own leadership,†Kaine said in a statement Wednesday. “I am disappointed that, as of now, the speech has not been postponed. For this reason, I will not attend the speech.â€
Kaine will join Senate colleagues Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) in skipping the address.
According to an unofficial estimate by one Senate Democrat, about 30 members of that caucus are expected to attend the speech and nearly 15 others are still deciding whether to boycott. One such Democrat is Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a freshman who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.
“It’s really offensive, but I think it’s a protocol breach, not a policy break,†he said.
Generally an ally of Israel, Murphy said his biggest concern was the spectacle occurring so close to the Israeli elections. “I don’t want to be part of a campaign speech,†he said. “It makes the whole thing look more politics-based.â€
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which said it didn’t know about Netanyahu’s plans ahead of time, said lawmakers should put aside the protocol issues and listen to the prime minister’s message on the Iran talks.
Netanyahu was invited by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) to attend a separate event with Democratic lawmakers, but he declined. In a letter, he said that it “could compound the misperception of partisanship regarding my upcoming visit.â€
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) said: “It’s unseemly what the Democrats have done to try and make this a political issue. I think the president has acted like an oaf, an oaf. O-a-f. . . . I don’t even want to get into it. I’m just mad.â€
Meanwhile, leaked details about Iran nuclear negotiations have made many lawmakers more interested in what Netanyahu has to say.
“I think his voice will resonate more credibly if that’s the deal that’s in the making,†said Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League. “Both the president and prime minister share the goal of preventing Iran from going nuclear. How to get there is what separates them.†Foxman initially called Netanyahu’s speech “ill-advised†but now says he will attend.
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), one of Obama’s strongest allies on the Hill, plans to attend Netanyahu’s speech. “I’m interested in what the prime minister is going to say,†Reed said. “I think it’s already been made an unnecessarily complicated political issue, but there is still this need to learn as much as we can about the situation.â€
Many will hear Netanyahu on Monday, when he addresses the annual AIPAC convention. AIPAC expects 16,000 people to attend, including about 50 lawmakers.
Katie Zezima and Mike DeBonis in Washington and William Booth in Israel contributed to this report. | 1 | [
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FMD1636 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: We tried to warn you.From the summer of 2016 onward, Democrats tried to warn the American public that Russia found a useful idiot in Donald Trump. He was their puppet, their strongman, their way into the American political scene. No one wanted to believe it.When the DNC and DSCC (along with various lawmakers including Nancy Pelosi) were hacked, we said it was Russia. The intelligence agencies agreed. No one wanted to believe it, and the mainstream media brushed it aside.When the Podesta emails were hacked and dumped onto the internet for all to read, it was traced back to Russian thugs. No one wanted to believe it. They said WikiLeaks and their leader, Julian Assange, were doing their due diligence for a more transparent government.When Hillary Clinton, at the last presidential debate, told 66 million viewers that the Russian federation was working tooth and nail to help Donald Trump, we brushed it off, and accused the Democrats of being sore losers, conspiracy riddled, and scared of losing an election (which we did).Watch Clinton hit it home. If only we listened:Hillary dropped this exact same info about Russia in front of 66 million viewers in October. But I guess no one listened because emails pic.twitter.com/HCe7oqfknv Ess (@ScottyLiterati) December 10, 2016Now, the CIA agrees Russia played a major role in helping Donald Trump win the presidency. They meddled in our sacred, democratic elections to help a would-be, two-bit dictator wannabe rise to power.A report found:As the summer turned to fall, Russian hackers turned almost all their attention to the Democrats. Virtually all the emails they released publically were potentially damaging to Clinton and the Democrats, the official told Reuters. That was a major clue to their intent, the official said. If all they wanted to do was discredit our political system, why publicize the failings of just one party, especially when they have a target like Trump? Trump has nominated a Secretary of State candidate, Rex Tillerman, who is a friend to Russia and Vladimir Putin. This is not a coincidence, nor is it a surprise. He has nominated a would-be National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, an ally to Russia and spreader of fake news. This also is not a coincidence. This is the reality of the United States, post-Obama.No, this was not some 400 pound guy in his parent s basement, as Trump would suggest. This is a world power that has their hands in several world crises Syria, Ukraine and so forth.So while Republicans and indeed left-wing defectors from the Democratic Party hyper focused on the Clinton/Podesta emails, Trump was on the cusp of a victory thanks in part to Russian hackings which may even extend to voter hackings in November.The Russians may or may not have physically intervened on November 8th to help Donald Trump win. However, it has now been proven by 17 security agencies, both private and governmental that Russia played a key role in souring the public s perception about Clinton and the Democrats.It wasn t just because of hackings. The Kremlin paid and trained trolls to flood the internet with fake news and multiple Twitter/Facebook accounts to create a world of hate for Hillary Clinton, a world of praise for Donald Trump.Luckily, Republicans like John McCain and Lindsey Graham are starting to see the big picture, but its not enough. They, along with their conservative colleagues and liberal adversaries, were A-OK with smearing Clinton with Russian propagated lies if it meant having an R in the White House.When it comes to Donald Trump and Russia, we Democrats hate to say it, but, we told you so. American democracy has been sold to the highest bidder, and Russia paid the highest price.Featured image via Justin Sullivan/Getty Images | 0 | [
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FMD1637 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: It s no secret that Donald Trump s rabid, uneducated fans are dangerous. The latest example of this is 38-year-old economically anxious voter Kevin Parnell.Parnell became furious when his biracial stepdaughter was arrested for prostitution and blamed it on her ex-boyfriend, Jordan Briggs. Parnell sent a number of colorful messages to Briggs calling him a n*gger and threatening to hang him. I m going to strip you naked and whip you like the slave you are, Parnell said in one message. You were warned, he posted publicly on Facebook, then ten he hopped in his white pickup truck and drove to the apartment Briggs shared with his roommate, Sammie Jones. He banged on the door three times, Briggs told the Star-Telegram. I told Sammie not to answer. I went to the back and instantly froze up. Sammie had answered the door. You know what kind of gun this is, boy? Briggs heard Parnell say to Sammie. It is a Glock 40. Then he heard the gunshot that took Sammie Jones life. Parnell, whose Facebook profile is unsurprisingly littered with posts supporting Donald Trump, closed the door and ran away like the coward he is. Sammie was being so calm, Briggs says. He just shot my bro in the face and burned off. Parnell remains behind bars on $500,000 bond, but he ll be happy to know his stepdaughter s case was dismissed.At this point, it s safe to say anyone who supports Donald Trump is a Nazi, a racist, a white supremacist, a bigot, a xenophobe, or is someone who is perfectly OK with all of those things and fine with being surrounded by those sorry excuses for people.. This is getting dangerous.Featured image via screengrab | 0 | [
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FMD1638 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Two boats crowded with 305 Syrian refugees arrived in Cyprus overnight, police said on Sunday, one of the largest group landings of migrants to the island since the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011. The vessels were tracked sailing to the north-west of the island and were thought to have set off from the Turkish coastal city of Mersin. For their safety they were towed to harbor, a police spokesman said. One of the vessels had been taking in water, the spokesman added. Cyprus is the closest European Union member state to Syria, yet many fleeing conflict have largely avoided the island because it has no direct easy access to the rest of the continent. The single largest group arrival since the Syrian conflict started was 345 people who were rescued in September 2014. Police said they were questioning a 36 year old Syrian man believed to have been steering one of the vessels. The others would be taken to a reception center west of the capital, Nicosia. The Syrians, who included many minors, appeared in good health. A woman and her infant were taken to hospital for precautionary reasons, the spokesman added. | 1 | [
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FMD1639 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: OMG. Why do these two gems of social media not have their own TV show? They are comedy genius #rockstars! @DiamondandSilk #ComedyPlatinum https://t.co/IFLM83KmKl James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) April 20, 2017Diamond and Silk are not happy about hypocrite Maxine Waters attacks on President Trump and they re not mincing any words in their latest (and possible their funniest) video where they brutally admonish Waters. The great thing about Diamond and Silk is that they are able to voice their opinions about the failures of black politicians like Maxine Waters without fear of being labeled racists for disagreeing with her.If you don t know who Diamond and Silk are, you re missing one of the most entertaining and downright unexplainable elements of Donald Trump s campaign for president.Diamond and Silk are people sisters from North Carolina, to be exact and outspoken surrogates for Trump. Such a description obscures, however, what has made the pair a must-see act on the campaign trail. Indeed, more than anything, what distinguishes Diamond and Silk from your run-of-the-mill pro-Trump talking heads is not just that they re black women (that is pretty remarkable itself), but their undeniable gifts for debate and punditry.Lynnette Hardaway (Diamond) and Rochelle Richardson (Silk) didn t seek out the limelight. The two say they launched their YouTube channel, The Viewers View, simply because they were tired of being talked at by media elites and wanted to talk back. The first video posted to The Viewers View was a Black Lives Matter tribute, but it didn t take long before the sisters set their sights on Trump. Weeks after Trump announced he was entering the presidential race, Diamond uploaded her first pro-Trump video entitled, Dump the rest of those Chumps and vote for Donald Trump in 2016. Diamond was joined by Silk for their next video, a discussion of the investigation into Sandra Bland s death in police custody. It was their second video together, however, that went viral and eventually led to Diamond and Silk joining Trump on the campaign trail. ComplexLeftists are perplexed by the support of President Trump by these two outspoken black women. What they don t realize is that Diamond and Silk are speaking out for millions of frustrated Americans of every race across America. Watch Diamond and Silk, as they call out the problem with ILLEGAL immigration in America in the video below. Through their videos, these ladies have been able to expose the truth about serious social and economic issues that are facing our nation and are only being reported from a liberal view by the mainstream media. With the perfect blend of comedy and seriousness, they have been able to tap into the feelings of frustrated Americans who feel like they re voices are being ignored. After watching one of their videos, these ladies will almost always leave you feeling like you want to stand up and cheer!When sister act Diamond and Silk take the stage, though, the audience, sparse as it is, erupts in cheers. Ditch and switch! hollers a barrel-bellied man in an I Love Women Who Vote Trump shirt, referring to the duo s campaign to encourage Democrats to register as Republicans.Diamond and Silk beam back at the crowd. Oh my goodness! Diamond, the taller one, coos appreciatively. She cuts to the chase: First of all, if y all haven t noticed: We black . And just because we black, we found out, that doesn t mean we have to vote Democrat. Uproarious applause. We can come off the Democratic plantation, and we can vote for whoever we want to vote for. Silk, standing to Diamond s left, bobs her head in agreement.Diamond, who possesses the timbre and timing of a revivalist minister, goes on. We don t need the media spoon-feeding us a narrative. We can think for ourselves, and we started thinking for ourselves. And in Donald J. Trump, we see a man that never wavers, nor does he back down, and that s what we love. She pauses for emphasis. I love ev-er-y-thing about Donald J. Trump. He can do no wrong in my eyes. For Diamond and Silk, loving ev-er-y-thing about Donald Trump means loving him in spite of his years-long racist birther campaign, and his various degrading remarks about black people, like, Laziness is a trait in blacks, and, You re living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs . What the hell do you have to lose? It means loving him in spite of the bogus statistics about the African-American community he repeats ( 58 percent of your youth is unemployed ) and retweets ( blacks killed 81% of white homicide victims ), and overlooking both the Department of Justice lawsuit accusing Trump and his father of housing discrimination and the long, demonstrated history of racial bias at other Trump properties.And it means loving him right alongside his other supporters, the ones affiliated with the KKK, the neo-Nazis, the white nationalist movement and assorted militia groups.Diamond and Silk know all this, and they love him anyway.Anyone who thinks these ladies give a hoot about what the liberal media has to say about them or their beloved new president Donald Trump hasn t been watching their videos | 0 | [
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FMD1640 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Could Kids with COVID-19 Symptoms Be Quarantined Without Parental Consent? Claim summaries: An erroneous Facebook post swept across various countries in August 2020.
contextual information: Snopes is still fighting an infodemic of rumors and misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and you can help. Find out what we've learned and how to inoculate yourself against COVID-19 misinformation. Read the latest fact checks about the vaccines. Submit any questionable rumors and advice you encounter. Become a Founding Member to help us hire more fact-checkers. And, please, follow the CDC or WHO for guidance on protecting your community from the disease. fighting Find out Read Submit Become a Founding Member CDC WHO In August 2020, as states and school districts in the United States grappled with whether and how to reopen schools for the fall semester, multiple readers asked Snopes to examine the accuracy of a social media post, shared widely by users in the United States, that claimed children who showed symptoms of COVID-19 could lawfully be quarantined outside their family home without the consent of their parents or guardians. shared widely The post, which typically began "For all the caring parents out there" and often warned "THEY WILL BE REMOVING YOUR KIDS & YOU CANT [sic] DO OR SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT!" consisted of an imagined conversation between a school teacher and a parent, as follows: Teacher: Sorry we have had to take your child to a testing centre [sic] as they were showing symptoms of corona (that means they could have a cold, temperature, a cough)Parent: Right so where is my child?HT [Head teacher]: I'm sorry I can't disclose that informationP [Parent]: Is my child ok?HT: I can assure you your child is in safe hands, in the mean time you need to self-isolate with your family for 14 daysP: No I'm coming to get my child nowHT: I'm sorry but if you arrive at the school we will have no choice but to call the police and have you removed from the premises.P: is this a joke? that is my childHT: I'm sorry but under the new covid act we have the power to remove your child without your consent if we feel the have symptoms.P: So when will I see my child nextHT: We will have a child service officer contact you. Now imagine this was a call from your Childs Headteacher I suggest every parent on my facebook gets off there [sic] ass and do some real research on the legislation of the covid act 2020 regarding the laws for children in school!!!! Versions of the post were originally shared by users in the United Kingdom earlier in August. Clues that the post originated outside the United States could be found in the use of the term "head teacher" (the British equivalent of an American school principal) and in the British spelling of "testing centre." The post also referred to a piece of legislation called the "COVID Act," claiming that the law authorized school authorities to "remove" children without parental consent if they presented symptoms of COVID-19. shared A "Coronavirus Act" was passed by the U.K. Parliament in 2020, but it did not give school officials the powers claimed in the viral Facebook post. Versions of the post were subsequently shared by users in Canada, and its claims about the "COVID act" were also false in that context. did not false The U.S. Congress passed no law in 2020 called the "Coronavirus Act" or the "COVID Act" or "COVID-19 Act," so that particular aspect of the post was also false in the U.S. context on the federal level. We also checked the actions of state legislatures around the country. Based on our examination of the National Conference of State Legislatures database of COVID-19-related legislation, no state had enacted any law that conferred on educational authorities the power to quarantine children with symptoms outside their family home without their parents' or guardians' consent. database As a result, the "COVID Act" Facebook post shared widely by users in the United States in August 2020 was not only based on an earlier set of claims that originated in an entirely different jurisdiction (the U.K.), but it also did not inadvertently refer to a different recently enacted law that authorized school officials to quarantine pupils. The post's claims were false. A law that empowers educational authorities to quarantine children outside their home without their parents' consent does not exist and is also highly unlikely to be passed in the United States. Several decades of federal court precedents have established that parents and children have a constitutionally protected right not to be separated. In 1999, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit wrote that: federal court precedents wrote "Parents and children have a well-elaborated constitutional right to live together without governmental interference [...]. That right is an essential liberty interest protected by the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee that parents and children will not be separated by the state without due process of law except in an emergency." Like all rights, the right of parents and children to live together is not absolute, and can be curtailed, suspended, or outweighed by competing rights or by a broader public interest. For example, while the law recognizes an individual's fundamental right to move about as they please, there are circumstances in which state and local officials have the authority to temporarily restrict that right. That includes a quarantine or self-isolation order in which an individual who is known or suspected to have contracted a dangerous and contagious illness like COVID-19 is legally forced to stay home because of the risk posed to the broader community. State and local authorities can restrict fundamental freedoms in this way on the basis of something called the "state police powers doctrine," which we have discussed at greater length elsewhere. elsewhere Similarly, the right of a parent to live with and raise a child is not absolute. A child also has a fundamental right to be free from physical, sexual, and emotional harm, as well as a right to a basic level of nutrition, shelter, and safety. Where those rights come into conflict, such as in cases where a parent neglects or abuses a child, or is proven incapable of providing care, state authorities can and do intervene to protect the rights of the child, and states can, and sometimes do, involuntarily terminate the parental rights of adults. involuntarily terminate However, because parental rights are regarded as fundamental, any law or official action that abridges those rights can be subjected by the courts to what is known as "strict scrutiny." Roughly speaking, this means that an especially high standard of justification is required any time the state seeks to curtail a fundamental right, and the state has the burden of proving that its actions or policies are not unconstitutional. strict scrutiny Carlton Larson, Martin Luther King, Jr. professor of law at the University of California-Davis, told Snopes the type of law described in the Facebook post shown above would be very unlikely to survive that kind of judicial scrutiny: professor Such laws would restrict the fundamental right of parents to raise their children [...]. To infringe such a right, the government would have to satisfy strict scrutiny, meaning the law must be narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling state interest. Typically, this means if there are less restrictive alternatives available, the government must first use those. Fighting Covid would clearly be a compelling state interest, but this doesn't seem narrowly tailored. Quarantining at home with parents seems just as safe as quarantining in some government-run facility. So I suspect a court would quickly declare any such law unconstitutional. Similarly, Barbara Bennett Woodhouse, a law professor and director of the Child Rights Project at Emory University, told Snopes that: director The U.S. Constitution protects parents from having children removed from parental custody without a showing that the parent is either unfit or poses an imminent danger to the child. The scenario you describe [the conversation presented in the viral Facebook post] is not consistent with any laws, either state or federal, of which I am aware. In the case of a parent suspected of extreme child abuse or endangerment, the authorities might prevent that parent from taking the child home from school, until an investigation and court hearing could establish the facts. In a medical emergency, if a child's quarantine or hospitalization were deemed necessary, the parent would be involved in any decisions and would have decision-making authority over where and how the child was to be quarantined. Rahman, Grace. "Can Children Be Detained Without Their Parents' Consent If the Authorities Think They Have Coronavirus?"
Full Fact. 13 August 2020. Goldhamer, Marisha. "Canadian Children With COVID-19 Symptoms Can Quarantine With a Parent or Guardian."
Agence France-Presse. 14 August 2020. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. "Kirkpatrick vs. County of Washoe et al. -- Opinion."
9 December 2016. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. "Wallis vs. Spencer -- Opinion."
14 September 1999. U.S. Supreme Court. "Santosky vs. Kramer -- Opinion."
24 March 1982. Mac Guill, Dan. "Could People Be Fined for Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine in US?"
Snopes.com. 11 August 2020. U.S. Children's Bureau. "Grounds for Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights."
December 2016. | 0 | [
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FMD1641 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Full frontal Leftist propaganda As a side note, writer and artist Frank Miller is also a Hillary supporter Last week anarchists, socialists and Black Lives Matter terrorists joined together to protest against white police officer, Jason Van Dyke, who was already charged with first-degree murder for fatally shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.The following day, DC Comics released the much-anticipated first issue of its latest Batman installment, Dark Knight III: The Master Race. Half of the comic is dedicated to scenes of police brutality, depicting a potentially fatal course of events halted by the caped superhero s interventions.The occasion of the issue s release heralded not only Batman s reemergence in Gotham City, but also the return of original Dark Knight Returns writer and artist Frank Miller. Nearly 30 years after he first penned the iconic comic series, the 58-year-old is breathing new life into his most influential work.A known provocateur, Miller has been described by turns as reactionary, overly conservative and radical. In a recent Vulture interview, he described himself as a libertarian who supports Democrat Hillary Clinton.Miller s politics have always been complicated, making his newest Batman s explicit stance against police brutality a noteworthy change of pace.This isn t the first time a comic book author has used their influence to indoctrinate young minds with a leftist narrative. We recently reported about about Disney s effort to turn popular opinion in favor of amnesty by making the villain in their latest Captain America comic book an evil conservative:DISNEY Introduces New Marvel Comic Books: Captain America (Captain Socialist) Beats Up Conservative Terrorists Defending U.S. Borders And More [VIDEO]The opening sequence of Dark Knight III: The Master Race is narrated through text messages between a young black man in a hoodie and his friend, presumably rehashing recent past events. The man, named Squid, is shown running from a police car with a cracked windshield and blood on its dashboard.As Comic Book Resources points out, colorist Brad Anderson uses only police reds and blues in this scene to illustrate the closeness of the cop car.Two police officers emerge from the car with their guns pointed at him. Aghast, Squid responds by showing them his open palms. Getting arrested, reads a text bubble from Squid. 4? his friend asks. The man dont need no reason [sic], Squid responds in a panel showing the barrel of a gun. I was waitin for the shot, he continues in his recollection, BANG last sound id ever hear. Instead i heard a snap and i turned to it. Enter the superhero of the hour, a dark caped figure who swoops in and immediately shatters one of the police car s front windows. He starts beating the officers who had their guns aimed at Squid.At first, it seems like this is game over. The artwork pans to TV pundits comic doppelgangers of Kelly Ripa, Michael Strahan, Jon Stewart, Al Sharpton and Bill O Reilly debating the morality of Batman s actions. There s talk about how the video footage of the confrontation went viral.Then Miller moves to a different setting in the jungle with Wonder Woman, and the police encounter is briefly forgotten, only to be thrown back into sharp relief at the end.With their overt metaphors and symbolic characters, comics have a long history of steering their readers toward certain moral conclusions and inciting fury over perceived social injustices.The issue s final scenes show Batman taking the place once occupied by Squid, except this time he s far outnumbered as he runs from a parade of at least four police cars. His attempts to evade the officers seeking vengeance for their beaten colleagues are unsuccessful, as Batman runs between trucks and climbs a fire escape before committing himself to a brawl.https://twitter.com/restlessbit/status/670836492026163200Completely surrounded, Batman falls to the ground after a police officer shoots the side of his head. A horizontal panel shows 10 cops approaching him with batons in the air.The large sound effect lettering leaves little room for interpretation. WHACK. WHACK. WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK. He is bludgeoned seemingly endlessly. Had enough? one of the officers asks as the troupe encircles a fallen Batman lying face-down in his own blood.This being a superhero comic, however, Batman emerges seriously injured but not defeated. With a sudden burst of energy, he punches the cop closest to him, causing them all to scatter.(The final pane reveals a significant twist to Batman s identity, but we ll leave that out because it s irrelevant to the police scene.)Via: The Washington Post | 0 | [
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FMD1642 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Hong Kong has turned into a Western 'Trojan horse' in China. American security bodies sent Ukrainian Nazis to instruct Hong Kong protesters on how to organize a Chinese Maidan. Most of Ukrainian Nazi associations are sort of mobile private military companies serving the US State Department. Another probable goal behind sending Ukrainian Nazis is to bring discord between the Chinese government and Ukrainian oligarchs who started selling important military and scientific technologies to Chinese. Washington also brought the Vatican in to help with the organization of the Hong Kong maidan. Local Catholics began an open anti-government propaganda. Events in Hong Kong may provoke a chain reaction in other Chinese provinces and strengthen the activities of totalitarian sects. Furthermore, the Taiwanese leadership wants to seize power in the whole China with US secret assistance. | 0 | [
"0",
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FMD1643 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: President-elect Donald Trump will nominate Republican U.S. Representative Mick Mulvaney to be director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, a senior transition official said on Friday. The following is a list of Republican Trump’s selections for top jobs in his administration; all the posts but those of national security adviser, the White House chief of staff, White House director of the National Economic Council and White House strategist require Senate confirmation: Sessions, 69, was the first U.S. senator to endorse Trump’s presidential bid and has been a close ally since. Son of a country store owner, the Alabama senator and former federal prosecutor has long taken a tough stance on illegal immigration, opposing any path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. U.S. Representative Pompeo, 52, is a third-term congressman from Kansas who serves on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, which oversees the CIA, National Security Agency and cyber security. A retired Army officer and Harvard Law School graduate, Pompeo supports the U.S. government’s sweeping collection of Americans’ communications data and wants to scrap the nuclear deal with Iran. Ross, 79, heads the private equity firm W.L. Ross & Co. His net worth was pegged by Forbes at about $2.9 billion. A staunch supporter of Trump and an economic adviser, Ross helped shape the Trump campaign’s views on trade policy. He blames the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, which went into force in 1994, and the 2001 entry of China into the World Trade Organization, for causing massive U.S. factory job losses. Mattis is a retired Marine general known for his tough talk, distrust of Iran and battlefield experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. A former leader of Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East and South Asia, Mattis, 66, is known by many U.S. forces by his nickname “Mad Dog.†He was once rebuked for saying in 2005: “It’s fun to shoot some people.†DeVos, 58, is a billionaire Republican donor, a former chair of the Michigan Republican Party and an advocate for the privatization of education. As chair of the American Federation for Children, she has pushed at the state level for vouchers that families can use to send their children to private schools and for the expansion of charter schools. Perry, 66, adds to the list of oil drilling advocates skeptical about climate change who have been picked for senior positions in Trump’s Cabinet. The selections have worried environmentalists but cheered an oil and gas industry eager for expansion. Perry, who also briefly ran in the 2016 presidential race, would have to be confirmed by the Senate to head the Energy Department, which is responsible for U.S. energy policy and oversees the nation’s nuclear weapons program. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ADMINISTRATOR: SCOTT PRUITT An ardent opponent of President Barack Obama’s measures to stem climate change, Oklahoma Attorney General Pruitt, 48, has enraged environmental activists. But he fits with the president-elect’s promise to cut the agency back and eliminate regulation that he says is stifling oil and gas drilling. Pruitt became the top state prosecutor for Oklahoma, which has extensive oil reserves, in 2011, and has challenged the EPA multiple times since. U.S. Representative Price, 62, is an orthopedic surgeon who heads the House Budget Committee. A representative from Georgia since 2005, Price has criticized Obamacare and has championed a plan of tax credits, expanded health savings accounts and lawsuit reforms to replace it. He is opposed to abortion. The final leadership role of Kelly’s 45-year career was head of the U.S. Southern Command, responsible for U.S. military activities and relationships in Latin America and the Caribbean. The 66-year-old retired Marine general differed with Obama on key issues and has warned of vulnerabilities along the United States’ southern border with Mexico. Carson, 65, is a retired neurosurgeon who dropped out of the Republican presidential nominating race in March and threw his support to Trump. A popular writer and speaker in conservative circles, Carson previously indicated reluctance to take a position in the incoming administration because of his lack of experience in the federal government. Carson is the first African-American picked for a Cabinet spot by Trump. Zinke, 55, a first-term Republican representative and a member of the House subcommittee on natural resources, has voted for legislation that would weaken environmental safeguards on public lands. He has taken stances favoring coal, a fossil fuel that suffered during the Obama administration. The League of Conservation Voters, which ranks lawmakers on their environmental record, gave Zinke an extremely low lifetime score of 3 percent. Puzder, chief executive officer of CKE Restaurants Inc, which runs the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s fast-food chains, has been a vociferous critic of government regulation of the workplace and the National Labor Relations Board. Puzder, 66, has argued that higher minimum wages would hurt workers by forcing restaurants to close, and praises the benefits of automation, so his appointment is likely to antagonize organized labor. Cohn, 56, president and chief operating officer of investment bank Goldman Sachs, had widely been considered heir apparent to Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of the Wall Street firm. Trump hammered Goldman and Blankfein during the presidential campaign, releasing a television ad that called Blankfein part of a “global power structure†that had robbed America’s working class. Retired Lieutenant General Flynn, 57, was an early Trump supporter and serves as vice chairman on his transition team. He began his Army career in 1981 and was deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Flynn became head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2012 under President Barack Obama but retired a year earlier than expected, according to media reports, and became a fierce critic of Obama’s foreign policy. U.S. Representative Mick Mulvaney, 49, a South Carolina Republican, is a fiscal conservative. He was an outspoken critic of former House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, who resigned in 2015 amid opposition from fellow Republicans who were members of the House Freedom Caucus. Mulvaney was first elected to Congress in 2010. Tillerson, 64, has spent his entire career at Exxon Mobil Corp, where he rose to serve as its chairman and CEO in 2006. A civil engineer by training, the Texan joined the world’s largest energy company in 1975 and led several of its operations in the United States as well as in Yemen, Thailand and Russia. As Exxon’s chief executive, he maintained close ties with Moscow and opposed U.S. sanctions against Russia for its incursion into Crimea. McMahon, 68, is a co-founder and former chief executive of the professional wrestling franchise WWE, which is based in Stamford, Connecticut. She ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for a U.S. Senate seat in Connecticut in 2010 and 2012, and was an early supporter of Trump’s presidential campaign. Chao, 63, was labor secretary under President George W. Bush for eight years and the first Asian-American woman to hold a Cabinet position. She is a director at Ingersoll Rand, News Corp and Vulcan Materials Company. She is married to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky. Mnuchin, 53, is a successful private equity investor, hedge fund manager and Hollywood financier who spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs before leaving in 2002. He assembled an investor group to buy a failed California mortgage lender in 2009, rebranded it as OneWest Bank and built it into Southern California’s largest bank. Housing advocacy groups criticized the bank for its foreclosure practices, accusing it of being too quick to foreclose on struggling homeowners. Haley, 44, has been the Republican governor of South Carolina since 2011 and has little experience in foreign policy or the federal government. The daughter of Indian immigrants, she led a successful push last year to remove the Confederate battle flag from the grounds of the South Carolina state capitol after the killing of nine black churchgoers in Charleston by a white gunman. Recently re-elected to serve as Republican National Committee chairman, Priebus will give up his party post to join Trump in the White House, where the low-key Washington operative could help forge ties with Congress to advance Trump’s agenda. The 44-year-old was a steadfast supporter of Trump during the presidential campaign even as the party fractured amid the choice. CHIEF WHITE HOUSE STRATEGIST, SENIOR COUNSELOR: STEVE BANNON The former head of the conservative website Breitbart News came aboard as Trump’s campaign chairman in August. A rabble-rousing conservative media figure, he helped shift Breitbart into a forum for the alt-right, a loose confederation of those who reject mainstream politics and includes neo-Nazis, white supremacists and anti-Semites. His hiring signals Trump’s dedication to operating outside the norms of Washington. As White House chief of staff, Bannon, 63, will serve as Trump’s gatekeeper and agenda-setter. | 1 | [
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FMD1644 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Is the Picture Depicting Stephen Hawking at a Conference in the Caribbean Organized by Jeffrey Epstein? Claim summaries: Epstein had hosted numerous scientific luminaries at the island gathering.
contextual information: On May 18, 2023, a Twitter user shared a photograph of the late physicist Stephen Hawking sitting with a group of people in what appeared to be a tropical setting. The user claimed that Hawking was on the Caribbean island owned by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a tweet, @dom_lucre asked, "Serious question, why the hell was Stephen Hawking on Jeffrey Epstein's Island?" asked (@@dom_lucre/X) This is a real photograph of Hawking that shows him either on one of Epstein's private islands or on nearby St. Thomas Island, at an Epstein-sponsored conference. It was taken in March 2006, a few months before Epstein was charged with multiple counts of unlawful sex with a minor. March 2006 charged Epstein, a financier who was later charged with sex trafficking, died in his prison cell in 2021 while awaiting trial (he previously had been convicted of other sex offenses). But before his fall, he was known for his parties and his extensive connections with high-profile celebrities, politicians, and intellectuals. He owned two private islands, Great St. James and Little St. James, which were prominent features in the civil and criminal cases against him. Numerous young women said in court papers that they were taken via private jet to Little St. James, where they were ordered to perform sex acts with Epstein and other men. died owned said Hawking was just one of many scientists and intellectuals invited to these islands for less-sinister reasons a scientific conference Epstein paid for. So how was Hawking brought into Epstein's orbit? For years, Epstein financed the Edge Foundation, billed as a salon for elite thinkers, which hosted prominent gatherings of scientists and intellectuals, and gave Epstein access to such circles. According to a Buzzfeed News investigation, Epstein's donations helped Edge carry out most of its activities, including an annual "billionaires dinner" that ceased to take place after his last contribution in 2015. financed billed investigation An archived page from Edge.org describing Epstein's involvement can be seen here, where he was described as "a financier and science philanthropist." The website stated, "He is one of the largest supporters of individual scientists, including theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking and Nobel Laureates Gerard 't Hooft, David Gross and Frank Wilczek." Edge.org here In 2006, Epstein sponsored a conference at the neighboring St. Thomas Island. Per a March 2006 report in the St. Thomas Source, a local newspaper, prominent scientists gathered in a series of private meetings dubbed "Confronting Gravity: A workshop to explore fundamental questions in physics and cosmology." Among those scientists was Hawking. March 2006 Epstein was also described by the local report as the "driving force behind the conference." He reportedly said to the paper that he brought the group to St. Thomas with hopes that the relaxed setting would free the physicists' minds to explore one of the 20th century's last unanswered physics questions: What is gravity? described "There is no agenda except fun and physics, and that's fun with a capital 'F,'" Epstein reportedly said. reportedly The New York Times also reported in 2019 on Hawking's trip to this island (emphasis, ours): reported It was a five-day gathering in the Caribbean of some of the world's top scientists, including Dr. Hawking, to share ideas about gravity and cosmology, with scuba and catamaran excursions on the side. One evening, the participants had dinner on the beach at Mr. Epstein's private island. Some of the scientists noticed that Mr. Epstein "was always followed by a group of something like three or four young women," as Alan Guth, a physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, put it in an email to The Times, but they did not probe further. In another 2019 report, The New York Times described how, "Once, the scientists including Mr. Hawking crowded on board a submarine that Mr. Epstein had chartered." 2019 report But where did the photograph come from? In 2006, The Edge Foundation also published a blog post on the conference and interviewed an attendee and organizer, theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss. Per the post (emphasis, ours): The Edge Foundation post The topic of the meeting was "Confronting Gravity." Krauss intended to have "a meeting where people would look forward to the key issues facing fundamental physics and cosmology". They could meet, discuss, relax on the beach, and take a trip to the nearby private island retreat of the science philanthropist Jeffrey Epstein, who funded the event. We scrolled to the bottom of the page and found photographs of Hawking and more from the gathering. The photograph in question showed Hawking seated alongside Nobel Prize winner David Gross, and physicists Kip Thorne and Lisa Randall. Yet another shows Hawking on what appears to be the interior of a boat, captioned, "Lawrence Krauss and Stephen Hawking on the way to Atlantis Submarine." page (Screenshot via Edge.org) The New York Times described Epstein's allure for these scientists: The New York Times The lure for some of the scientists was Mr. Epstein's money. He dangled financing for their pet projects. Some of the scientists said that the prospect of financing blinded them to the seriousness of his sexual transgressions, and even led them to give credence to some of Mr. Epstein's half-baked scientific musings. The photograph of Hawking has been disseminated in the media, and is also publicly available on the website of the foundation once financed by Epstein, along with a description of the conference he attended, with the dates and details of the gathering matching up with reliable media reports. We thus rate this claim "A Timeline of the Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell Scandal." AP NEWS, 28 June 2022, https://apnews.com/article/epstein-maxwell-timeline-b9f15710fabb72e8581c71e94acf513e. Accessed 19 May 2023. Aldhous, Peter. "How Jeffrey Epstein Bankrolled An Exclusive Intellectual Boys Club And Reaped The Benefits." BuzzFeed News, 26 Sept. 2019, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-john-brockman-edge-foundation.Accessed 19 May 2023. Chappell, Bill. "Financier Buys Jeffrey Epstein's Private Islands, with Plans to Create a Resort." NPR, 4 May 2023. NPR, https://www.npr.org/2023/05/04/1173956903/jeffrey-epstein-island-sold-st-james.Accessed 19 May 2023. "Jeffrey Epstein." Edge.Org. 5 Apr. 2019, https://web.archive.org/web/20190405211237/https:/www.edge.org/memberbio/jeffrey_epstein.Accessed 19 May 2023. Kantor, Jodi, et al. "Jeffrey Epstein Was a Sex Offender. The Powerful Welcomed Him Anyway." The New York Times, 13 July 2019. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/13/nyregion/jeffrey-epstein-new-york-elite.html.Accessed 19 May 2023. "Physicists Debate Gravity at St. Thomas Symposium." St. Thomas Source, 17 Mar. 2006, https://stthomassource.com/content/2006/03/17/physicists-debate-gravity-st-thomas-symposium/.Accessed 19 May 2023. "Pictured: Stephen Hawking on Jeffrey Epsteins 'Sex-Slave Island.'" The Independent, 13 Jan. 2015, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/stephen-hawking-pictured-on-jeffrey-epstein-s-sex-slave-caribbean-island-9974955.html.Accessed 19 May 2023. "Stephen Hawking Pictured on Jeffrey Epstein's "Island of Sin."" Telegraph, 12 Jan. 2015. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/stephen-hawking/11340494/Stephen-Hawking-pictured-on-Jeffrey-Epsteins-Island-of-Sin.html. Accessed 19 May 2023. Stewart, James B., et al. "Jeffrey Epstein Hoped to Seed Human Race With His DNA." The New York Times, 31 July 2019. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/business/jeffrey-epstein-eugenics.html.Accessed 19 May 2023. "THE ENERGY OF EMPTY SPACE THAT ISN'T ZERO." Edge.Org. 6 Mar. 2023, https://web.archive.org/web/20230306164658/https://www.edge.org/conversation/lawrence_m_krauss-the-energy-of-empty-space-that-isnt-zero.Accessed 19 May 2023. "Who Was Jeffrey Epstein? The Financier Charged with Sex Trafficking." BBC News, 8 July 2019. www.bbc.com, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48913377.Accessed 19 May 2023. | 1 | [
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FMD1645 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: The U.S. government might not have enough money to pay all its bills on Oct. 2 if Washington does not raise a cap on federal borrowing, a respected think tank said in a report on Thursday. The Treasury might not have enough money on that day to make a roughly $80 billion payment that will be due to a military retirement fund, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. Coming up short on cash on Oct. 2 could also lead the government to delay payments due that day on social security benefits and military pay, the BPC said. The report highlights the urgency facing the Trump administration to work with Congress to raise the federal government’s $19.8 trillion cap on borrowing. Missing payments could trigger financial turmoil and hit the U.S. economy, possibly triggering a recession. A credit agency has warned that America’s credit rating is at risk. “October 2 is a particularly difficult day for federal finances,†said the Bipartisan Policy Center, which is considered an expert in projecting fiscal deadlines. Losing the ability to borrow any more on Oct. 2 would mean approximately 23 percent of funds owed by the government that month would go unpaid, dealing an immediate blow to the U.S. economy, the BPC said. Washington has been scraping against its debt ceiling since March, putting off payments into a few government funds so it can keep borrowing from investors and making debt payments. The BPC noted there was “substantial uncertainty†in knowing just when Washington could stop being able to pay all its bills. It projects that date could fall between Oct. 2 and the middle of the month. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told lawmakers in July they needed to raise the debt limit by Sept 29. President Donald Trump on Thursday described efforts to raise the limit as a “mess.†Republicans control the White House and both houses of the U.S. Congress. Washington has put itself through debt-limit crises several times in recent decades. In the run-up to a 2011 crisis, the Treasury looked at a range of options, including prioritizing payments, which would mean making debt securities payments at the expense of other obligations. Former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said in 2013 that attempting to prioritize might trigger chaos. Mnuchin told lawmakers on July 27 he had no intent to prioritize payments and that doing so “doesn’t make sense.†| 1 | [
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FMD1646 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: What was the reason behind the FBI searching the office of Trump's attorney instead of Bill Clinton's? Claim summaries: A meme presents a false equivalency between presidential payoffs to women made in completely different cases 20 years apart.
contextual information: A popular meme in March 2019 questioned why Bill Clinton had "paid Paula Jones $850K to go away" yet the FBI hadn't raided his lawyer's office. The meme was an obvious reference to two completely unrelated issues separated by decades: a 1994 lawsuit involving Clinton and a search warrant executed by the FBI in April 2018 at the office of President Donald Trump's attorney, Michael Cohen. In short, the major differences in the cases referenced by the meme one of which involved an FBI raid on a lawyer's office and the other not were as follows: Clinton openly paid Jones $850,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit well after he became president and well after Jones had had a chance to air her allegations to the public, press, and court system, while Trump secretly used an intermediary to pay hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels just ahead of a presidential election in order to keep her allegations that she had an affair with him from reaching the public and influencing the election results against him. Nothing Clinton did in settling Jones' civil lawsuit was illegal (or even potentially illegal), but Trump's payment of hush money to Daniels through his lawyer was possibly an illegal act on the part of Trump and/or Cohen, hence the raid on the latter's office but not the office of Clinton's lawyer. On 6 May 1994, Jones, a former Arkansas state employee, filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Clinton just days before the statute of limitations would have expired. In her lawsuit, she maintained that on 8 May 1991, she was working the registration desk at Excelsior Hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas, where the Third Annual Governor's Quality Management Conference was being held, an event Bill Clinton (then governor of Arkansas) attended to deliver a speech. Jones alleged that an Arkansas state trooper, Danny Ferguson, approached her at the registration desk, told her that Clinton would like to meet with her, and escorted her to a business suite in the hotel where Clinton was staying. lawsuit According to Jones, once she entered Clinton's hotel suite he complimented her on her physical appearance, put his hand on her leg, attempted to kiss her on the neck, asked her if she was married, and finally lowered his trousers to expose his erect penis and asked Jones to "kiss it." When Jones rebuffed Clinton's advances, she said, he told her to "keep this between ourselves" and suggested that, in her words, he "could damage her in her job and even jeopardize her employment." Jones did not publicly discuss the incident until The American Spectator referenced it in a January 1994 article, apparently based on information provided by Trooper Ferguson: The American Spectator account asserts that a woman by the name of "Paula" told an unnamed trooper (obviously Defendant Ferguson), who had escorted "Paula" to Clinton's hotel room, that "she was available to be Clinton's regular girlfriend if he so desired," thus implying a consummated and satisfying sexual encounter with Clinton, as well as a willingness to continue a sexual relationship with him. These assertions are untrue. The American Spectator account also asserted that the troopers' 'official' duties included facilitating Clinton's cheating on his wife ... Since Jones ("Paula") was one of the women preyed upon by Clinton and his troopers, including by Defendant Ferguson, in the manner described above, those who read this magazine account could conclude falsely that Jones ("Paula") had a sexual relationship and affair with Clinton. Jones' reputation within her community was thus seriously damaged. Several months later, Jones filed her lawsuit against Clinton and Ferguson, seeking a total of $750,000 in compensation for damages and attorneys' fees on counts of sexual harassment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and defamation. The issue of whether Jones could sue a sitting president went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, who upheld an appellate court decision that "the President, like all other government officials, is subject to the same laws that apply to all other members of our society," and allowed Jones' case to proceed. However, Judge Susan Webber Wright of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas dismissed the lawsuit on 1 April 1998, holding that "the governor's alleged conduct does not constitute sexual assault," that "plaintiff's allegations fall far short of the rigorous standards for establishing a claim of outrage under Arkansas law," that "plaintiff has failed to demonstrate that she has a case worthy of submitting to a jury," and that "there are no genuine issues for trial in this case." dismissed When it came to light a few months later that Clinton had lied under oath about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky during proceedings in Jones' lawsuit, Jones filed an appeal to reverse the dismissal and have her claims reinstated. On 13 November 1998, Clinton settled the matter by offering to pay Jones $850,000 in exchange for her agreement to drop her appeal, without admitting to or apologizing for the conduct alleged by Jones. appeal Porn actress Daniels (the stage name of Stephanie Clifford) said she first met Trump at a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada in July 2006. The two engaged in sex in Trump's hotel room, she claimed, and continued an "intimate relationship" into the following year. Daniels discussed her relationship with Trump in a 2011 interview for In Touch magazine, but the interview was not published at that time, reportedly because Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, threatened to sue over it when the magazine reached out to ask for comment. threatened In January 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump's personal attorney, Cohen, had arranged to pay Daniels $130,000 just weeks before the 2016 U.S. presidential election in exchange for her signing a nondisclosure agreement related to her alleged 2006 affair with Trump. reported The following month, Cohen confirmed that $130,000 had been paid to Daniels, but he maintained that he had used his personal funds for the payment, and that "Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly." On 5 April 2018, Trump denied to reporters that he knew about the payment to Daniels. When pressed about why the payment had been made, Trump replied, "You'll have to ask Michael Cohen" and asserted he didn't know where the $130,000 had come from. Four days later, acting on a warrant from federal prosecutors in New York's Southern District obtained in part on a referral from special counsel Robert Mueller's office, FBI agents seized a variety of material from Cohen's New York City office, home, and hotel room, including documents related to Cohen's payment to Daniels and to Karen McDougal, another woman who had alleged an affair with Trump. denied A month later, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, now a member of Trump's legal team, said that Trump had personally repaid Cohen for the $130,000 payment to Daniels, and that the reimbursement had been "funneled through a law firm." The following day, Trump contradicted his earlier claim that he didn't know about the payment by acknowledging that he had repaid Cohen, but he asserted the money "had nothing to do with the campaign." Rudy Giuliani contradicted In August 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to eight charges, including five counts of tax evasion, one count of making a false statement to a financial institution, one count of being a "willful cause" of an unlawful corporate contribution, and one count of making an excessive campaign contribution, the latter two stemming from the "hush money" payments made to Daniels and McDougal. Prosecutors held that the payments made by Cohen violated federal campaign finance laws because they were meant to benefit the campaign but did not come from campaign contributions and were not reported to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The payments therefore constituted illegal in-kind contributions to the Trump campaign that violated laws limiting such donations to $2,700 and requiring their disclosure to the FEC. Whether Trump himself could be charged with engaging in a criminal scheme to violate campaign finance laws for his involvement in the hush money payments is still a matter of legal debate, but the issue took a dramatic turn in February 2019 when Cohen revealed before Congress that he was paid reimbursement for the hush money directly from Trump's personal bank account after Trump became president. legal debate revealed "Cohen's public testimony directly implicates Trump in serious campaign finance violations," former FECGeneral Counsel Lawrence Noble told the Washington Post. "Assuming Cohen is telling the truth about the purpose of the checks, the checks are documentary evidence supporting the allegation that Trump had Cohen pay Daniels $135,000 in hush money and then reimbursed Cohen." Washington Post All in all, events proved the FBI had good reason to raid Cohen's office, as they gathered evidence of multiple federal crimes (beyond just campaign finance violations) to which Cohen pleaded guilty. Bill Clinton's payment to Paula Jones was a settlement of a civil lawsuit that did not involve any criminal matter or criminal wrongdoing, and thus it was of no legitimate interest to law enforcement. The only commonality between the two cases was that they involved payments by politicians to women, but for very different reasons and circumstances. federal crimes Dowd, Katie. "Are These the Checks Donald Trump Gave Michael Cohen for the Stormy Daniels Payment?" San Francisco Chronicle. 27 February 2019. Goodman, Ryan and Andy Wright. "Mueller's Roadmap: Major Takeaways from Cohen and Manafort Filings." Just Security. December 8, 2018 Rupar, Aaron. "What's illegal About Trump's Hush Payments to Women, Briefly Explained." Vox. 12 December 2018. Kelly, Matthew. "In-Kind Contributions Are Boring ... Until Stormy Daniels Gets Involved." OpenSecrets.org. 3 April 2018. Lord, Debbie. "Michael Cohen Plea Deal: How Were Campaign Finance Laws Broken?" The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 22 August 2018. Associated Press. "A Timeline of Key Moments in Trump-Stormy Daniels Saga." 4 May 2018. Kirby, Jen. "A Timeline of Trumpworld's Changing Story on Stormy Daniels." Vox. 4 May 2018. Samuels, Brett. "Timeline: Trump, Cohen, Stormy Daniels and $130,000." The Hill. 4 May 2018. Theobald, Bill. "Why Hush Money Michael Cohen Paid Stormy Daniels Was an Illegal Campaign Donation." USA Today. 14 December 2018. Kirby, Jen and Andrew Prokop. "Michael Cohen Pleads Guilty to 8 Federal Crimes." Vox. 21 August 2018. Stewart, Emily and Dylan Matthews. "The Michael Cohen-Stormy Daniels Subplot, Explained." Vox. 27 February 2019. Chalfant, Morgan. "Prosecutors Submit Redacted Cohen Raid Documents Under Seal, Teeing Up Public Release." The Hill. 28 February 2019. Reuters. "Trump Says He Did Not Know About $130,000 Payment to Stormy Daniels." 5 April 2018. | 0 | [
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FMD1647 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Chilean President Michelle Bachelet s top economic officials resigned on Thursday after the cancellation of a major mining project, weakening her center-left coalition before November elections. Finance Minister Rodrigo Valdes said in a news conference some members of Bachelet s government had not shared his sense of urgency to spur growth and attract investment to the world s top copper producer. I wasn t able to make everybody share this conviction, Valdes said, pointing to the need for discipline and clear rules for the private sector. Valdes, who held his position for two years, had criticized the government s decision to reject a $2.5 billion copper and iron project owned by Andes Iron last week on environmental grounds. So had Economy Minister Luis Felipe Cespedes and Finance Undersecretary Alejandro Micco, who also stepped down. [nL2N1L70ZT] Cespedes, talking with reporters, did not respond when asked why he had quit. Micco s office declined to comment on his reasons for resigning. Dominga, as the project is known, had become a symbol in recent months of the increasing difficulties of doing business in what remains one of Latin America s most open economies and laid bare philosophical differences within the government. Bachelet said Valdes will be replaced by Nicolas Eyzaguirre, an economist in charge of legislative affairs for the president, while Cespedes will be replaced by Jorge Rodriguez, president of Banco del Estado de Chile. I don t think development is something to be done with your back to the people, where only the numbers matter and not what s happening to families, said Bachelet. The shakeup was seen by some as a blow to the center-left and its presidential candidate Alejandro Guillier, who is generally supportive of Bachelet, and a boost for conservative frontrunner Sebastian Pinera. The correct solution is not a change of cabinet, it is a change of government, Pinera told journalists. The Chilean peso strengthened over 1 percent after Valdes resignation as traders bet the shake-up will make a Pinera win more likely and will make it tougher for the current government to push through a social security reform. The only thing this can do is divide the center-left even more, said Kenneth Bunker, head of an elections unit at Universidad Central de Chile. Eyzaguirre and Rodriguez, both centrists, served under Ricardo Lagos, a moderate who was president from 2000 to 2006. Growth has slowed recently in Chile, long an investor darling and Latin America s richest nation. In July S&P downgraded its debt for the first time since the 1990s. Bachelet has faced criticism that her government is poorly organized and lacks unity. Her approval rating has risen slowly in recent months after a series of legislative wins but remains in the low 30s. | 1 | [
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FMD1648 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Don't Buy Gas on April 15 Claim summaries: Will not buying gas on April 15 help lower gasoline prices?
contextual information: Claim: Participating in one-day boycott of gasoline on 15 April will help lower gasoline prices. Examples: [Collected on the Internet, March 2012] Don't pump gas on April 15, 2012. KEEP SENDING THIS. Let's all try this, wonderful if it helps. I'll do it! If running low, just get your gas the day before on April 14 or the day after on April 16. Every little bit helps. In April 1997, there was a "gas out" conducted nationwide in protest of gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight. On April 15th 2011, all internet users are to not go to a gas station in protest of high gas prices. Gas is now over $1.20 a liter/$3.87 is most places. If all users did not go to the pump on the 15th, it would take $2,292,000,000.00 (that's almost 3 BILLION) out of the oil companies pockets for just one day, so please do not go to the gas station on April 15th and let's try to put a dent in the Middle Eastern oil industry for at least one day. [Collected on the Internet, 2007] DO NOT PUMP GAS ON MAY 15TH... On May 15th all myspace members are to not go to the gas station in protest high gas prices. Gas is now over $3.00 a gallon in most places. There are 72,110,073 members currently on the network, and the average car takes about 20 to 30 dollars to fill up. If all myspace members did not go to the pump on the 15th it would take $2,163,302,190.00 out of the oil companys pockets for just one day, so please do not go to the gas station on May 15th and lets try to put a dent in the oil industry for at least one day. If you agree (which I cant see why you wouldnt) repost this bulletin repost it with "Don't pump gas on May 15th, 2007" [Collected on the Internet, 2006] No Gas on May 15th On May 15th all myspace members are to not go to the gas station in protest high gas prices. Gas is now over $3.00 a gallon in most places. There are 72,110,073 members currently on the network, and the average car takes about 20 to 30 dollars to fill up. If all myspace members did not go to the pump on the 15th it would take $2,163,302,190.00 out of the oil companys pockets for just one day, so please do not go to the gas station on May 15th and lets try to put a dent in the oil industry for at least one day.. [Collected on the Internet, 2005] IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT IF EVERYONE IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA DID NOT PURCHASE A DROP OF GASOLINE FOR ONE DAY AND ALL AT THE SAME TIME, THE OIL COMPANIES WOULD CHOKE ON THEIR STOCKPILES. AT THE SAME TIME IT WOULD HIT THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY WITH A NET LOSS OF OVER 4.6 BILLION DOLLARS WHICH AFFECTS THE BOTTOM LINES OF THE OIL COMPANIES. THEREFORE SEPTEMBER 1st HAS BEEN FORMALLY DECLARED "STICK IT UP THEIR BEHIND " DAY AND THE PEOPLE OF THESE TWO NATIONS SHOULD NOT BUY A SINGLE DROP OF GASOLINE THAT DAY. THE ONLY WAY THIS CAN BE DONE IS IF YOU FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN AND AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT. WAITING ON THE GOVERNMENT TO STEP IN AND CONTROL THE PRICES IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REDUCTION AND CONTROL IN PRICES THAT THE ARAB NATIONS PROMISED TWO WEEKS AGO? REMEMBER ONE THING, NOT ONLY IS THE PRICE OF GASOLINE GOING UP BUT AT THE SAME TIME AIRLINES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES, TRUCKING COMPANIES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES WHICH EFFECTS PRICES ON EVERYTHING THAT IS SHIPPED. THINGS LIKE FOOD, CLOTHING, BUILDING MATERIALS, MEDICAL SUPPLIES ETC. WHO PAYS IN THE END? WE DO! WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IF THEY DON'T GET THE MESSAGE AFTER ONE DAY, WE WILL DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN. SO DO YOUR PART AND SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW. MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND MAKE SEPTEMBER 1ST A DAY THAT THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA SAY "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" [Collected on the Internet, 2004] IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT IF EVERYONE IN THE UNITED STATES DID NOT PURCHASE A DROP OF GASOLINE FOR ONE DAY AND ALL AT THE SAME TIME, THE OIL COMPANIES WOULD CHOKE ON THEIR STOCKPILES. AT THE SAME TIME IT WOULD HIT THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY WITH A NET LOSS OF OVER 4.6 BILLION DOLLARS WHICH AFFECTS THE BOTTOM LINES OF THE OIL COMPANIES. THEREFORE MAY 19TH HAS BEEN FORMALLY DECLARED "STICK IT UP THEIR BEHINDS DAY" AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION SHOULD NOT BUY A SINGLE DROP OF GASOLINE THAT DAY. THE ONLY WAY THIS CAN BE DONE IS IF YOU FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN AND AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT. WAITING ON THIS ADMIINSTRATION TO STEP IN AND CONTROL THE PRICES IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REDUCTION AND CONTROL IN PRICES THAT THE ARAB NATIONS PROMISED TWO WEEKS AGO? REMEMBER ONE THING, NOT ONLY IS THE PRICE OF GASOLINE GOING UP BUT AT THE SAME TIME AIRLINES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES, TRUCKING COMPANIES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES WHICH EFFECTS PRICES ON EVERYTHING THAT IS SHIPPED. THINGS LIKE FOOD, CLOTHING, BUILDING MATERIALS, MEDICAL SUPPLIES ETC. WHO PAYS IN THE END? WE DO! WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IF THEY DON'T GET THE MESSAGE AFTER ONE DAY, WE WILL DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN. SO DO YOUR PART AND SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW. MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND MAKE MAY 19TH A DAY THAT THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES SAY "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" [Collected on the Internet, 2000] Last year on April 30, 1999, a gas out was staged across Canada and the U.S. to bring the price of gas down, and it worked. It's time to do something about it again. Only this time lets make it for three days instead of just one. The so-called oil cartel decided to slow production to drive up gasoline prices. Lets see how many CanadianAmerican people we can get to ban together for a three day period in April, NOT TO BUY ANY GASOLINE, during those three days. LET'S HAVE A GAS OUT. Do not buy any gasoline from APRIL 7, 2000, THROUGH APRIL 9, 2000. Buy what you need before the dates listed above, or after, but try not to buy any during the GAS OUT. If you want to help, just send this to everyone you know and ask them to do the same. We brought the prices down once before, and we can do it again. Come on North America lets stand together. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Even if you receive this 100 times keep passing it around, this way you know everyone is being informed and no one will forget!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Origins: The above-quoted pieces advocating one-day gasoline boycotts are proof that some bad ideas never go away; they just keep getting recycled year after year. This year's e-mail (proposing a one-day "gas out" on 15 April) is yet another recasting of similar messages that have been circulating since 1999. All of them are reminders that "protest" schemes that don't cost the participants any inconvenience, hardship, or money remain the most popular, despite their ineffectiveness. A one-day "gas out" was proposed in 1999, and a three-day-long event was called for in 2000, but both drew little active participation and had no real effect on retail gasoline prices. The recycling of the same campaign in subsequent years hasn't drawn enough interest to even be considered newsworthy. The premise behind all these messages is inherently flawed, because consumers' not buying gasoline on one particular day doesn't affect oil companies at all. The "gas out" scheme doesn't call upon people to use less gasoline, but simply to shift their date of purchase and buy gas a day earlier or later than they usually would The very same amount of gasoline is sold either way, so oil companies don't lose any money. By definition, a boycott involves the doing without of something, with the renunciation of the boycotted product held up as tangible proof to those who supply the commodity that consumers are prepared to do without it unless changes are made. What the "gas out" calls for isn't consumers' swearing off using or buying gasoline, even for a short time, but simply shifting their purchases by a couple of days at most. Because the "gas out" doesn't call on consumers to make a sacrifice by actually giving up something, the threat it poses is a hollow one. Not buying gas on a designated day may make people feel a bit better about things by providing them a chance to vent their anger at higher gasoline prices, but the action won't have any real impact on retail prices. An effective protest would involve something like organizing people to forswear the use of their cars on specified days, an act that could effectively demonstrate the reality of the threat that if gasoline prices stayed high, American consumers were prepared to move to carpooling and public transportation for the long term. Simply changing the day one buys gas, however, imparts no such threat, because nothing is being done without. Moreover, the primary potential effect of the type of boycott proposed in the "gas out" messages is to hurt those at the very end of the oil-to-gasoline chain: the independent service station operators, who have the least say in setting gasoline prices. (Independents are at the mercy of a very volatile oil market and operate on thin profit margins, and even a single day's disruption of supply or demand can wipe out many days' worth of hard-earned profits.) As such, the "gas out" is a punch on the nose delivered to the wrong person. Either apathy or an outbreak of common sense has made previous "gas outs" non-events with very low levels of participation, as documented by these snippets of news accounts from across North America: Friday's gasoline boycott was an effort that sputtered, coughed, then died. Motorists continued to fill up gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicles and trucks alongside smaller vehicles despite a one-day protest aimed to pressure oil companies to lower gas prices. Although a gasoline boycott that began as an electronic mail campaign kept some drivers nationwide away from the pump, dealers say they saw little, if any, effect on their traffic. In Seattle, there were so many cars waiting to get into [a] Texaco station ... yesterday afternoon that it caused a backup five cars deep into [the] right-hand lane. Reports indicated few motorists paid attention to a nationwide boycott touted initially by Internet e-mail and later by word of mouth. A planned nationwide boycott protesting the high price of gasoline didn't have much effect on local gas stations. "We were expecting something substantial," said Mark Johnson, the owner of a Chevron station. "We haven't really noticed much of a difference." Irving stations in sunny Halifax said the boycott had no effect on business. "It's been busy as a bugger here," said Bruce Riley, manager of one station. "We haven't been busier in the last two weeks," added the manager at another Halifax outlet. Gas stations [in Ottawa] reported "busier than ever" conditions at the pumps on the day of The Great Internet Gas-Out. Gasoline is a fungible, global commodity, its price subject to the ordinary forces of supply and demand. No amount of consumer gimmickry and showmanship will lower its price in the long run; only a significant, ongoing reduction in demand will accomplish that goal. Unfortunately, for many people achieving that goal would mean cutting down on their driving or opting for less desirable economy cars over less fuel-efficient models, solutions they find unappealing. An event like a "gas out" can sometimes do some good by calling attention to a cause and sending a message. In this case, though, the only message being sent is: "We consumers are so desperate for gasoline that we can't even do without it for a few days to demonstrate our dissatisfaction with its cost." What supplier is going to respond to a message like that by lowering its prices? Those who really want to send a "message" to oil suppliers should try not buying any gasoline for several months in a row. Other articles about gasoline prices: Petition to President Bush Call to Boycott Particular Suppliers to Cut Off Funding of Terrorists Call to Spurn Gasoline from Particular Suppliers to Bring Price Down Last updated: 11 March 2013 Deibel, Mary. "Web-Inspired 'Gas Out' Won't Work, Experts Say." The [Albany] Times Union. 27 April 1999 (p. A2). De Marcol, Donna. "High Prices Fuel Gas Boycott; Locally, Impact Minimal." The Washington Times. 1 May 1999 (p. C11). Heaster, Jerry. "Gasoline Protest Runs on Empty." The Kansas City Star. 30 April 1999 (p. C1). Howe, Kenneth. "Internet-Fueled Gas Boycott Fizzles Around Bay Area." The San Francisco Chronicle. 1 May 1999 (p. A1). Sands, Aaron. "Net-Fuelled Protest Runs Out of Gas." The Ottawa Sun. 1 May 1999 (p. A4). Simmons, Cindy. "For Oregonians, Necessity Takes Precedence Over Protest at the Pump." Associated Press. 1 May 1999. Surman, Matt. "Gas Boycott Runs on Empty; Stations Report No Change." Los Angeles Times. 1 May 1999 (p. B6). Associated Press. "Arizonans Largely Ignore 'Gas Out.'" 1 May 1999. Calgary Herald. "Most Motorists Ignore North American Gas Boycott." 1 May 1999 (p. E5). Indianapolis Business Journal. "Misguided 'Gas Out' Won't Pay at Pump." 3 May 1999 (p. B9). Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "National Boycott Doesn't Slow Gas Flowing at Pumps." 1 May 1999 (p. B3). The Toronto Star. "Gas Boycott Sputters." 1 May 1999. | 0 | [
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FMD1649 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Around 1,000 Indonesians, led by hardline Islamist groups, protested outside parliament on Tuesday as lawmakers approved a presidential decree banning any civil organizations deemed to go against the country s secular state ideology. Tuesday s approval puts into law a policy President Joko Widodo set in a decree in July. The policy was aimed at containing hardline groups who have cast a shadow over the long-standing reputation for religious tolerance in the world s largest Muslim-majority nation. We have seen mass organizations that are against the Pancasila (state ideology) and have created social conflict, said Arya Bima, a lawmaker in favour of the policy. This law doesn t impede freedom of organization or assembly, it strengthens it. In late 2016 and early this year, groups such as Hizb-ut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) and the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), which call for Islamic law to be imposed in Indonesia, led mass street rallies attacking Jakarta s governor, a Christian, whom they accused of insulting Islam. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who in April lost an election to get a new term, was jailed one month later after being convicted of blasphemy, in a court ruling widely criticized in Indonesia and overseas as unjust. The presidential decree Widodo signed in July ordered the disbanding of all organizations deemed to be in conflict with the secular state ideology. HTI, which seeks to establish an Islamic caliphate, was the first organization to be disbanded under the policy. Pancasila or five principles is Indonesia s state ideology, which includes belief in god, the unity of the country, social justice and democracy, and which enshrines religious diversity in an officially secular system. Under the new law, anyone who embraces, develops of spreads ideology that is in conflict with the (state ideology) Pancasila can face imprisonment of six months to life, according to a copy of the draft law reviewed by Reuters. Rights activists and civil organizations have decried the move, saying it harks back to the era of authoritarian ruler Suharto, who demanded loyalty to Pancasila and took repressive measures against some opponents. Opposition lawmaker Al Muzamil Yusuf said the new law could violate democratic rights and remove checks and balances on the government . During the protest outside parliament on Tuesday, around 5,200 police and military personnel stood guard around the complex in central Jakarta. A hashtag supporting Widodo s policy was a top trending topic on Indonesian Twitter. This policy is not about (Widodo) or any political party, it s about safeguarding the unity of the country, said user @Senopati. | 1 | [
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FMD1650 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Congress removes Child Tax Credit, Mortgage Deduction, and EITC from the Tax Code. Claim summaries: Has Congress eliminated the child tax credit, earned income tax credit (EITC) and mortgage deductions due to the influence of Koch Industries?
contextual information: Claim: Congress has eliminated the child tax credit, the earned income tax credit (EITC), and mortgage deductions from the tax code under pressure from lobby groups and the Koch brothers. Example: [Collected via Twitter, November 2014] Are u kidding!? Congress Eliminates Child Tax Credit, Mortgage Deduction & E.I.T.C Origins: On 11 November 2014, the National Report published an article claiming a "heavy burst of lobbying" by groups including the Koch brothers' Koch Industries preceded a vote whereby Congress rescinded several common tax breaks long afforded to millions of Americans. article According to the article, the child tax credit, the earned income tax credit and the mortgage interest deduction were all forms of "entitlement payouts" that had been eliminated beginning with the 2014 fiscal year to allow "job creators" to flourish: The deeply unpopular congress, whose approval rating hovers around a historic low of 10%, has voted to remove the child tax credit, the earned income tax credit and the mortgage interest deduction from the tax code starting with the 2014 fiscal year. The move is almost assured to solidify the perception of the 113rd Congress of the United States as deeply disconnected from the struggles and desires of the populace it is supposed to serve. The move, long championed by entitlement reform advocates like congressman Paul Ryan R-Wisconsin and Ted Cruz R-Texas, will cut entitlement payouts by a staggering 177 billion dollars. 54.33 billion dollars in savings will be realized from discontinuing the earned income tax credit, which generally pays those making less than 12 thousand dollars yearly large cash tax rebates far in excess of the actual tax they paid. 69.7 billion will be saved from the mortgage interest tax deduction, which critics say primarily favors top income earners. The elimination of the child tax credit, which critics say serves no fair purpose, will result in an additional 54 billion dollar savings. The article was nothing but a chain-yanking spoof, however: The National Report is a well-known fake news outlet notorious for publishing click-baiting, completely false stories such as "15 Year Old Who 'SWATTED' Gamer Convicted of Domestic Terrorism," "Solar Panels Drain the Sun's Energy, Experts Say," and "Vince Gilligan Announces Breaking Bad Season 6." 15 Year Old Who 'SWATTED' Gamer Convicted of Domestic Terrorism Solar Panels Drain the Sun's Energy, Experts Say Vince Gilligan Announces Breaking Bad Season 6 The article also quoted economist "Paul Horner" on Congress' purported tax credit repeal. If that name sounds familiar, it's because Paul Horner is a National Report writer whose name is used as a recurring character in various stories published by the site. Last updated: 13 November 2014 < | 2 | [
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FMD1651 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: . Mainstream Media Crashed — The Scapegoat is 'Fake News' They kept telling the American people Hillary Clinton was going to win the election; and in every wa... Print Email http://humansarefree.com/2016/11/mainstream-media-crashed-scapegoat-is.html They kept telling the American people Hillary Clinton was going to win the election; and in every way they could think of, they told the American people this was a good idea. Then, on election night, they, the media, crashed. The results came in. The media went into deep shock. As protests and riots then spread across America, the media neglected to mention: a) they’d been bashing Trump because he said he might not accept the outcome of the vote, and b) here were large numbers of people on the Democrat side who weren’t accepting the outcome of the vote.A new campaign had to be launched. Suddenly, on cue, it was: Hillary Clinton lost because “fake news” about her had been spread around during the campaign. Fake news sites. That was the reason. These “fake sites” had to be punished. Somehow. They had to be defamed. Blocked. Censored. Here is an excerpt from a list of “fake news” sites suggested by one professor. The list is circulating widely on the Web: Project Veritas; Obama put in his two cents : “Because in an age where there’s so much active misinformation and it’s packaged very well and it looks the same when you see it on a Facebook page or you turn on your television… If everything seems to be the same and no distinctions are made, then we won’t know what to protect.” Excuse me. “We won’t know what to protect?” Meaning what to favor, what to promote, what to lie about? Meaning only some speech is free? Obama is way, way behind the curve. Thousands of websites and blogs have been exposing major media as fake for years. I started nomorefakenews.com in 2001. If Google, Facebook, and Twitter keep expanding their censorship of “disfavored messages,” they’re going to pay a price. More and more users will go elsewhere. The facade of the major media is getting thinner. You can see a glow of rage and resentment behind it. They’re desperately looking for revenge on the millions and millions of people who are deserting them and laughing at them. They presumed too much. They presumed they had us in the palm of their hand. We were their property. We were transfixed by their authority. All that is going away. Bye, bye. The big shift is accelerating. Independent media are in the ascendance. Understand that. Recognize it. The impossible is happening. Fake news sites? Please. The major media are the biggest fakes the world has ever seen. Their anchors and star reporters are bloviating cranks. They’re dinner-theater actors. The Mainstream Media has been caught faking news countless times, which had serious consequences worldwide: 9. BBC Journalist Comes Clean: 'Believe Nothing You Read Or Watch' Over the years, I’ve talked to some of them. I’ve warned them of their coming troubles. They were miles away from believing me. Now, they’re starting to sweat blood. Major media news for America is still basically manufactured in New York and Washington — plus occasional outbursts from Hollywood creatures who bemoan the decline of inclusive liberalism, as they expand their gun-toting security staffs and dig deeper bunkers. The New York-Washington axis exists in a self-serving bubble, which has now taken serious punctures. The delusional attacks against “fake sites” underlines how out of touch these elites are with the rest of the country. Independent media outlets are winning. They won’t be stopped. When the people who now head the tech giants were growing up, they were heralding the Internet as a new era of free information-exchange. But now that they find themselves working with the government in the Surveillance State, they’re fronting for censorship. In fact, they’re showing they were never for freedom. That was a pose all along. They were, from the beginning, agents of repression. They can try to stop independent media now, but they will fail. Fake web sites? What about fake companies? What about Google, Facebook, Twitter? Behind their happy-happy messages, they were built to propagandize, profile, and control. Understand this: major media have a rock-bottom article of faith. It is: “We own the news.” They can’t give it up. They’ll never give it up. It fuels everything they do. It’s the substance and core of their attitude. As their ship goes down below the waves, they’ll be chanting it. “We own the news.” But they don’t. In truth, they never did. For a time, they managed to sell that delusion to the people. That time is drawing to a close. The elite political class and their media minions fear more than independent news countering their own news. For obvious reasons, every civilization down through history has had its own monopolistic media, its central “broadcasting system.” Its controlled outlet. But now, The One has become Many. That is the threat. The rapid proliferation of The Many is an unpredictable X-factor. The population is waking up to decentralized media. Instead of the hypnotic attachment to one basic information source — the habit of a lifetime — the public is learning to handle multiple sources. Therefore, the hypnotic spell is being broken and dissolved. This is the basic problem for the elites. How can they reinstate the trance? By trying to censor the Internet? By creating a sudden war or other disaster, briefly “unifying” the country? These are not permanent solutions, particularly since more and more people understand such maneuvers and their true aims. Awake is awake. Putting the genie back in the bottle — particularly when major media denizens aren’t very bright, as evidenced by their latest “fake news” scam — is on the order of trying to perform a piece of stage magic after the audience has already learned how it’s done. Of course, the media clowns will try. And in the process, they’ll further expose themselves and actually assist in the awakening. Boom. By Jon Rappoport Dear Friends, HumansAreFree is and will always be free to access and use. If you appreciate my work, please help me continue.
Stay updated via Email Newsletter: Related | 0 | [
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FMD1652 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: THE ANTIFA ANARCHISTS ARE IN ALL BLACK:WOMAN INTERVIEWED WHO HAS NOT CLUE WHY SHE S PROTESTING I M A FRIENDLY ANARCHIST I HATE CAPITALISM AMBULANCE TRYING TO GET TO TRUMP SUPPORTER HIT IN THE HEAD:ANTIFA ANARCHISTS CHASE AND ATTACK TRUMP SUPPORTERS:Fighting is spreading to the streets in Berkeley. This isn t a Trump rally anymore. It s the anarchists. pic.twitter.com/cFIu7akCSX Lizzie Johnson (@lizziejohnsonnn) March 4, 2017TRUMP SUPPORTER PEPPER SPRAYED BY ANTIFA ANARCHIST:BAMN Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration, and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means NecessarySat. March 4 at 12 pm in Berkeley at MLK Civic Center Park: Confront and Defeat the Trump Movement! Counter-protest the pro-Trump rally in Berkeley (scheduled for 2 pm). Very proud that the anti-Trump and civil rights movement organizing has already accomplished so much. The pro-Trump groups are dropping like flies. First neo-fascist group Proud Boys dropped out, now the racist Berkeley College Republicans have promised not to come. But the organizer of the event is still trying to get people to come from other parts of California. Let s make clear that hate speech has no place in Berkeley or anywhere.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysy7oV_07PQ&feature=youtu.beLATINA SPEAKS OUT AGAINST ANTIFA ANARCHISTS: | 0 | [
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FMD1653 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Afraid of "dangerous" Trump presidency, protesters pre-emptively burn America down to the ground
Clinton Foundation in foreclosure as foreign donors demand refunds
Hillary Clinton blames YouTube video for unexpected and spontaneous voter uprising that prevented her inevitable move into the White House
Sudden rise in sea levels explained by disproportionately large tears shed by climate scientists in the aftermath of Trump's electoral victory
FBI director Comey delighted after receiving Nobel Prize for Speed Reading (650,000 emails in one week)
U.N. deploys troops to American college campuses in order to combat staggeringly low rape rates
Responding to Trump's surging poll numbers, Obama preemptively pardons himself for treason
Following hurricane Matthew's failure to devastate Florida, activists flock to the Sunshine State and destroy Trump signs manually
Tim Kaine takes credit for interrupting hurricane Matthew while debating weather in Florida
Study: Many non-voters still undecided on how they're not going to vote
The Evolution of Dissent: on November 8th the nation is to decide whether dissent will stop being racist and become sexist - or it will once again be patriotic as it was for 8 years under George W. Bush
Venezuela solves starvation problem by making it mandatory to buy food
Breaking: the Clinton Foundation set to investigate the FBI
Obama captures rare Pokémon while visiting Hiroshima
Movie news: 'The Big Friendly Giant Government' flops at box office; audiences say "It's creepy"
Barack Obama: "If I had a son, he'd look like Micah Johnson"
White House edits Orlando 911 transcript to say shooter pledged allegiance to NRA and Republican Party
President George Washington: 'Redcoats do not represent British Empire; King George promotes a distorted version of British colonialism'
Following Obama's 'Okie-Doke' speech , stock of Okie-Doke soars; NASDAQ: 'Obama best Okie-Doke salesman'
Weaponized baby formula threatens Planned Parenthood office; ACLU demands federal investigation of Gerber
Experts: melting Antarctic glacier could cause sale levels to rise up to 80% off select items by this weekend
Travel advisory: airlines now offering flights to front of TSA line
As Obama instructs his administration to get ready for presidential transition, Trump preemptively purchases 'T' keys for White House keyboards
John Kasich self-identifies as GOP primary winner, demands access to White House bathroom
Upcoming Trump/Kelly interview on FoxNews sponsored by 'Let's Make a Deal' and 'The Price is Right'
News from 2017: once the evacuation of Lena Dunham and 90% of other Hollywood celebrities to Canada is confirmed, Trump resigns from presidency: "My work here is done"
Non-presidential candidate Paul Ryan pledges not to run for president in new non-presidential non-ad campaign
Trump suggests creating 'Muslim database'; Obama symbolically protests by shredding White House guest logs beginning 2009
National Enquirer: John Kasich's real dad was the milkman, not mailman
National Enquirer: Bound delegates from Colorado, Wyoming found in Ted Cruz’s basement
Iran breaks its pinky-swear promise not to support terrorism; US State Department vows rock-paper-scissors strategic response
Women across the country cheer as racist Democrat president on $20 bill is replaced by black pro-gun Republican
Federal Reserve solves budget crisis by writing itself a 20-trillion-dollar check
Widows, orphans claim responsibility for Brussels airport bombing
Che Guevara's son hopes Cuba's communism will rub off on US, proposes a long list of people the government should execute first
Susan Sarandon: "I don't vote with my vagina." Voters in line behind her still suspicious, use hand sanitizer
Campaign memo typo causes Hillary to court 'New Black Panties' vote
New Hampshire votes for socialist Sanders, changes state motto to "Live FOR Free or Die"
Martin O'Malley drops out of race after Iowa Caucus; nation shocked with revelation he has been running for president
Statisticians: one out of three Bernie Sanders supporters is just as dumb as the other two
Hillary campaign denies accusations of smoking-gun evidence in her emails, claims they contain only smoking-circumstantial-gun evidence
Obama stops short of firing US Congress upon realizing the difficulty of assembling another group of such tractable yes-men
In effort to contol wild passions for violent jihad, White House urges gun owners to keep their firearms covered in gun burkas
TV horror live: A Charlie Brown Christmas gets shot up on air by Mohammed cartoons
Democrats vow to burn the country down over Ted Cruz statement, 'The overwhelming majority of violent criminals are Democrats'
Russia's trend to sign bombs dropped on ISIS with "This is for Paris" found response in Obama administration's trend to sign American bombs with "Return to sender"
University researchers of cultural appropriation quit upon discovery that their research is appropriation from a culture that created universities
Archeologists discover remains of what Barack Obama has described as unprecedented, un-American, and not-who-we-are immigration screening process in Ellis Island
Mizzou protests lead to declaring entire state a "safe space," changing Missouri motto to "The don't show me state"
Green energy fact: if we put all green energy subsidies together in one-dollar bills and burn them, we could generate more electricity than has been produced by subsidized green energy
State officials improve chances of healthcare payouts by replacing ObamaCare with state lottery
NASA's new mission to search for racism, sexism, and economic inequality in deep space suffers from race, gender, and class power struggles over multibillion-dollar budget
College progress enforcement squads issue schematic humor charts so students know if a joke may be spontaneously laughed at or if regulations require other action
ISIS opens suicide hotline for US teens depressed by climate change and other progressive doomsday scenarios
Virginia county to close schools after teacher asks students to write 'death to America' in Arabic
'Wear hijab to school day' ends with spontaneous female circumcision and stoning of a classmate during lunch break
ISIS releases new, even more barbaric video in an effort to regain mantle from Planned Parenthood
Impressed by Fox News stellar rating during GOP debates, CNN to use same formula on Democrat candidates asking tough, pointed questions about Republicans
Shocking new book explores pros and cons of socialism, discovers they are same people
Pope outraged by Planned Parenthood's "unfettered capitalism," demands equal redistribution of baby parts to each according to his need
John Kerry accepts Iran's "Golden Taquiyya" award, requests jalapenos on the side
Citizens of Pluto protest US government's surveillance of their planetoid and its moons with New Horizons space drone
John Kerry proposes 3-day waiting period for all terrorist nations trying to acquire nuclear weapons
Chicago Police trying to identify flag that caused nine murders and 53 injuries in the city this past weekend
Cuba opens to affordable medical tourism for Americans who can't afford Obamacare deductibles
State-funded research proves existence of Quantum Aggression Particles (Heterons) in Large Hadron Collider
Student job opportunities: make big bucks this summer as Hillary’s Ordinary-American; all expenses paid, travel, free acting lessons
Experts debate whether Iranian negotiators broke John Kerry's leg or he did it himself to get out of negotiations
Junior Varsity takes Ramadi, advances to quarterfinals
US media to GOP pool of candidates: 'Knowing what we know now, would you have had anything to do with the founding of the United States?'
NY Mayor to hold peace talks with rats, apologize for previous Mayor's cowboy diplomacy
China launches cube-shaped space object with a message to aliens: "The inhabitants of Earth will steal your intellectual property, copy it, manufacture it in sweatshops with slave labor, and sell it back to you at ridiculously low prices"
Progressive scientists: Truth is a variable deduced by subtracting 'what is' from 'what ought to be'
Experts agree: Hillary Clinton best candidate to lessen percentage of Americans in top 1%
America's attempts at peace talks with the White House continue to be met with lies, stalling tactics, and bad faith
Starbucks new policy to talk race with customers prompts new hashtag #DontHoldUpTheLine
Hillary: DELETE is the new RESET
Charlie Hebdo receives Islamophobe 2015 award ; the cartoonists could not be reached for comment due to their inexplicable, illogical deaths
Russia sends 'reset' button back to Hillary: 'You need it now more than we do'
Barack Obama finds out from CNN that Hillary Clinton spent four years being his Secretary of State
President Obama honors Leonard Nimoy by taking selfie in front of Starship Enterprise
Police: If Obama had a convenience store, it would look like Obama Express Food Market
Study finds stunning lack of racial, gender, and economic diversity among middle-class white males
NASA: We're 80% sure about being 20% sure about being 17% sure about being 38% sure about 2014 being the hottest year on record
People holding '$15 an Hour Now' posters sue Democratic party demanding raise to $15 an hour for rendered professional protesting services
Cuba-US normalization: US tourists flock to see Cuba before it looks like the US and Cubans flock to see the US before it looks like Cuba
White House describes attacks on Sony Pictures as 'spontaneous hacking in response to offensive video mocking Juche and its prophet'
CIA responds to Democrat calls for transparency by releasing the director's cut of The Making Of Obama's Birth Certificate
Obama: 'If I had a city, it would look like Ferguson'
Biden: 'If I had a Ferguson (hic), it would look like a city'
Obama signs executive order renaming 'looters' to 'undocumented shoppers'
Ethicists agree: two wrongs do make a right so long as Bush did it first
The aftermath of the 'War on Women 2014' finds a new 'Lost Generation' of disillusioned Democrat politicians, unable to cope with life out of office
White House: Republican takeover of the Senate is a clear mandate from the American people for President Obama to rule by executive orders
Nurse Kaci Hickox angrily tells reporters that she won't change her clocks for daylight savings time
Democratic Party leaders in panic after recent poll shows most Democratic voters think 'midterm' is when to end pregnancy
Desperate Democratic candidates plead with Obama to stop backing them and instead support their GOP opponents
Ebola Czar issues five-year plan with mandatory quotas of Ebola infections per each state based on voting preferences
Study: crony capitalism is to the free market what the Westboro Baptist Church is to Christianity
Fun facts about world languages: the Left has more words for statism than the Eskimos have for snow
African countries to ban all flights from the United States because "Obama is incompetent, it scares us"
Nobel Peace Prize controversy: Hillary not nominated despite having done even less than Obama to deserve it
Obama: 'Ebola is the JV of viruses'
BREAKING: Secret Service foils Secret Service plot to protect Obama
Revised 1st Amendment: buy one speech, get the second free
Sharpton calls on white NFL players to beat their women in the interests of racial fairness
President Obama appoints his weekly approval poll as new national security adviser
Obama wags pen and phone at Putin; Europe offers support with powerful pens and phones from NATO members
White House pledges to embarrass ISIS back to the Stone Age with a barrage of fearsome Twitter messages and fatally ironic Instagram photos
Obama to fight ISIS with new federal Terrorist Regulatory Agency
Obama vows ISIS will never raise their flag over the eighteenth hole
Harry Reid: "Sometimes I say the wong thing"
Elian Gonzalez wishes he had come to the U.S. on a bus from Central America like all the other kids
Obama visits US-Mexican border, calls for a two-state solution
Obama draws "blue line" in Iraq after Putin took away his red crayon
"Hard Choices," a porno flick loosely based on Hillary Clinton's memoir and starring Hillary Hellfire as a drinking, whoring Secretary of State, wildly outsells the flabby, sagging original
Accusations of siding with the enemy leave Sgt. Bergdahl with only two options: pursue a doctorate at Berkley or become a Senator from Massachusetts
Jay Carney stuck in line behind Eric Shinseki to leave the White House; estimated wait time from 15 min to 6 weeks
100% of scientists agree that if man-made global warming were real, "the last people we'd want to help us is the Obama administration"
Jay Carney says he found out that Obama found out that he found out that Obama found out that he found out about the latest Obama administration scandal on the news
"Anarchy Now!" meeting turns into riot over points of order, bylaws, and whether or not 'kicking the #^@&*! ass' of the person trying to speak is or is not violence
Obama retaliates against Putin by prohibiting unionized federal employees from dating hot Russian girls online during work hours
Russian separatists in Ukraine riot over an offensive YouTube video showing the toppling of Lenin statues
"Free Speech Zones" confuse Obamaphone owners who roam streets in search of additional air minutes
Obamacare bolsters employment for professionals with skills to convert meth back into sudafed
Gloves finally off: Obama uses pen and phone to cancel Putin's Netflix account
Joe Biden to Russia: "We will bury you by turning more of Eastern Europe over to your control!"
In last-ditch effort to help Ukraine, Obama deploys Rev. Sharpton and Rev. Jackson's Rainbow Coalition to Crimea
Al Sharpton: "Not even Putin can withstand our signature chanting, 'racist, sexist, anti-gay, Russian army go away'!"
Mardi Gras in North Korea: " Throw me some food! "
Obama's foreign policy works: "War, invasion, and conquest are signs of weakness; we've got Putin right where we want him"
US offers military solution to Ukraine crisis: "We will only fight countries that have LGBT military"
Putin annexes Brighton Beach to protect ethnic Russians in Brooklyn, Obama appeals to UN and EU for help
The 1980s: "Mr. Obama, we're just calling to ask if you want our foreign policy back . The 1970s are right here with us, and they're wondering, too."
In a stunning act of defiance, Obama courageously unfriends Putin on Facebook
MSNBC: Obama secures alliance with Austro-Hungarian Empire against Russia’s aggression in Ukraine
Study: springbreak is to STDs what April 15th is to accountants
Efforts to achieve moisture justice for California thwarted by unfair redistribution of snow in America
North Korean voters unanimous: "We are the 100%"
Leader of authoritarian gulag-site, The People's Cube, unanimously 're-elected' with 100% voter turnout
Super Bowl: Obama blames Fox News for Broncos' loss
Feminist author slams gay marriage: "a man needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle"
Beverly Hills campaign heats up between Henry Waxman and Marianne Williamson over the widening income gap between millionaires and billionaires in their district
Biden to lower $10,000-a-plate Dinner For The Homeless to $5,000 so more homeless can attend
Kim becomes world leader, feeds uncle to dogs; Obama eats dogs, becomes world leader, America cries uncle
North Korean leader executes own uncle for talking about Obamacare at family Christmas party
White House hires part-time schizophrenic Mandela sign interpreter to help sell Obamacare
Kim Jong Un executes own " crazy uncle " to keep him from ruining another family Christmas
OFA admits its advice for area activists to give Obamacare Talk at shooting ranges was a bad idea
President resolves Obamacare debacle with executive order declaring all Americans equally healthy
Obama to Iran: "If you like your nuclear program, you can keep your nuclear program"
Bovine community outraged by flatulence coming from Washington DC
Obama: "I'm not particularly ideological; I believe in a good pragmatic five-year plan"
Shocker: Obama had no knowledge he'd been reelected until he read about it in the local newspaper last week
Server problems at HealthCare.gov so bad, it now flashes 'Error 808' message
NSA marks National Best Friend Day with official announcement: "Government is your best friend; we know you like no one else, we're always there, we're always willing to listen"
Al Qaeda cancels attack on USA citing launch of Obamacare as devastating enough
The President's latest talking point on Obamacare: "I didn't build that"
Dizzy with success, Obama renames his wildly popular healthcare mandate to HillaryCare
Carney: huge ObamaCare deductibles won't look as bad come hyperinflation
Washington Redskins drop 'Washington' from their name as offensive to most Americans
Poll: 83% of Americans favor cowboy diplomacy over rodeo clown diplomacy
GOVERNMENT WARNING: If you were able to complete ObamaCare form online, it wasn't a legitimate gov't website; you should report online fraud and change all your passwords
Obama administration gets serious, threatens Syria with ObamaCare
Obama authorizes the use of Vice President Joe Biden's double-barrel shotgun to fire a couple of blasts at Syria
Sharpton: "British royals should have named baby 'Trayvon.' By choosing 'George' they sided with white Hispanic racist Zimmerman"
DNC launches 'Carlos Danger' action figure; proceeds to fund a charity helping survivors of the Republican War on Women
Nancy Pelosi extends abortion rights to the birds and the bees
Hubble discovers planetary drift to the left
Obama: 'If I had a daughter-in-law, she would look like Rachael Jeantel'
FISA court rubberstamps statement denying its portrayal as government's rubber stamp
Every time ObamaCare gets delayed, a Julia somewhere dies
GOP to Schumer: 'Force full implementation of ObamaCare before 2014 or Dems will never win another election'
Obama: 'If I had a son... no, wait, my daughter can now marry a woman!'
Janet Napolitano: TSA findings reveal that since none of the hijackers were babies, elderly, or Tea Partiers, 9/11 was not an act of terrorism
News Flash: Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) can see Canada from South Dakota
Susan Rice: IRS actions against tea parties caused by anti-tax YouTube video that was insulting to their faith
Drudge Report reduces font to fit all White House scandals onto one page
Obama: the IRS is a constitutional right, just like the Second Amendment
White House: top Obama officials using secret email accounts a result of bad IT advice to avoid spam mail from Nigeria
Jay Carney to critics: 'Pinocchio never said anything inconsistent'
Obama: If I had a gay son, he'd look like Jason Collins
Gosnell's office in Benghazi raided by the IRS: mainstream media's worst cover-up challenge to date
IRS targeting pro-gay-marriage LGBT groups leads to gayest tax revolt in U.S. history
After Arlington Cemetery rejects offer to bury Boston bomber, Westboro Babtist Church steps up with premium front lawn plot
Boston: Obama Administration to reclassify marathon bombing as 'sportsplace violence'
Study: Success has many fathers but failure becomes a government program
US Media: Can Pope Francis possibly clear up Vatican bureaucracy and banking without blaming the previous administration?
Michelle Obama praises weekend rampage by Chicago teens as good way to burn calories and stay healthy
This Passover, Obama urges his subjects to paint lamb's blood above doors in order to avoid the Sequester
White House to American children: Sequester causes layoffs among hens that lay Easter eggs; union-wage Easter Bunnies to be replaced by Mexican Chupacabras
Time Mag names Hugo Chavez world's sexiest corpse
Boy, 8, pretends banana is gun, makes daring escape from school
Study: Free lunches overpriced, lack nutrition
Oscars 2013: Michelle Obama announces long-awaited merger of Hollywood and the State
Joe Salazar defends the right of women to be raped in gun-free environment: 'rapists and rapees should work together to prevent gun violence for the common good'
Dept. of Health and Human Services eliminates rape by reclassifying assailants as 'undocumented sex partners'
Kremlin puts out warning not to photoshop Putin riding meteor unless bare-chested
Deeming football too violent, Obama moves to introduce Super Drone Sundays instead
Japan offers to extend nuclear umbrella to cover U.S. should America suffer devastating attack on its own defense spending
Feminists organize one billion women to protest male oppression with one billion lap dances
Urban community protests Mayor Bloomberg's ban on extra-large pop singers owning assault weapons
Concerned with mounting death toll, Taliban offers to send peacekeeping advisers to Chicago
Karl Rove puts an end to Tea Party with new 'Republicans For Democrats' strategy aimed at losing elections
Answering public skepticism, President Obama authorizes unlimited drone attacks on all skeet targets throughout the country
Skeet Ulrich denies claims he had been shot by President but considers changing his name to 'Traps'
White House releases new exciting photos of Obama standing, sitting, looking thoughtful, and even breathing in and out
New York Times hacked by Chinese government, Paul Krugman's economic policies stolen
White House: when President shoots skeet, he donates the meat to food banks that feed the middle class
To prove he is serious, Obama eliminates armed guard protection for President, Vice-President, and their families; establishes Gun-Free Zones around them instead
State Dept to send 100,000 American college students to China as security for US debt obligations
Jay Carney: Al Qaeda is on the run, they're just running forward
President issues executive orders banning cliffs, ceilings, obstructions, statistics, and other notions that prevent us from moving forwards and upward
Fearing the worst, Obama Administration outlaws the fan to prevent it from being hit by certain objects
World ends; S&P soars
Riddle of universe solved; answer not understood
Meek inherit Earth, can't afford estate taxes
Greece abandons Euro; accountants find Greece has no Euros anyway
Wheel finally reinvented; axles to be gradually reinvented in 3rd quarter of 2013
Bigfoot found in Ohio, mysteriously not voting for Obama
As Santa's workshop files for bankruptcy, Fed offers bailout in exchange for control of 'naughty and nice' list
Freak flying pig accident causes bacon to fly off shelves
Obama: green economy likely to transform America into a leading third world country of the new millennium
Report: President Obama to visit the United States in the near future
Obama promises to create thousands more economically neutral jobs
Modernizing Islam: New York imam proposes to canonize Saul Alinsky as religion's latter day prophet
Imam Rauf's peaceful solution: 'Move Ground Zero a few blocks away from the mosque and no one gets hurt'
Study: Obama's threat to burn tax money in Washington 'recruitment bonanza' for Tea Parties
Study: no Social Security reform will be needed if gov't raises retirement age to at least 814 years
Obama attends church service, worships self
Obama proposes national 'Win The Future' lottery; proceeds of new WTF Powerball to finance more gov't spending
Historical revisionists: "Hey, you never know"
Vice President Biden: criticizing Egypt is un-pharaoh
Israelis to Egyptian rioters: "don't damage the pyramids, we will not rebuild"
Lake Superior renamed Lake Inferior in spirit of tolerance and inclusiveness
Al Gore: It's a shame that a family can be torn apart by something as simple as a pack of polar bears
Michael Moore: As long as there is anyone with money to shake down, this country is not broke
Obama's teleprompters unionize, demand collective bargaining rights
Obama calls new taxes 'spending reductions in tax code.' Elsewhere rapists tout 'consent reductions in sexual intercourse'
Obama's teleprompter unhappy with White House Twitter: "Too few words"
Obama's Regulation Reduction committee finds US Constitution to be expensive outdated framework inefficiently regulating federal gov't
Taking a page from the Reagan years, Obama announces new era of Perestroika and Glasnost
Responding to Oslo shootings, Obama declares Christianity "Religion of Peace," praises "moderate Christians," promises to send one into space
Republicans block Obama's $420 billion program to give American families free charms that ward off economic bad luck
White House to impose Chimney tax on Santa Claus
Obama decrees the economy is not soaring as much as previously decreeed
Conservative think tank introduces children to capitalism with pop-up picture book "The Road to Smurfdom"
Al Gore proposes to combat Global Warming by extracting silver linings from clouds in Earth's atmosphere
Obama refutes charges of him being unresponsive to people's suffering: "When you pray to God, do you always hear a response?"
Obama regrets the US government didn't provide his mother with free contraceptives when she was in college
Fluke to Congress: drill, baby, drill!
Planned Parenthood introduces Frequent Flucker reward card: 'Come again soon!'
Obama to tornado victims: 'We inherited this weather from the previous administration'
Obama congratulates Putin on Chicago-style election outcome
People's Cube gives itself Hero of Socialist Labor medal in recognition of continued expert advice provided to the Obama Administration helping to shape its foreign and domestic policies
Hamas: Israeli air defense unfair to 99% of our missiles, "only 1% allowed to reach Israel"
Democrat strategist: without government supervision, women would have never evolved into humans
Voters Without Borders oppose Texas new voter ID law
Enraged by accusation that they are doing Obama's bidding, media leaders demand instructions from White House on how to respond
Obama blames previous Olympics for failure to win at this Olympics
Official: China plans to land on Moon or at least on cheap knockoff thereof
Koran-Contra: Obama secretly arms Syrian rebels
Poll: Progressive slogan 'We should be more like Europe' most popular with members of American Nazi Party
Obama to Evangelicals: Jesus saves, I just spend
May Day: Anarchists plan, schedule, synchronize, and execute a coordinated campaign against all of the above
Midwestern farmers hooked on new erotic novel "50 Shades of Hay"
Study: 99% of Liberals give the rest a bad name
Obama meets with Jewish leaders, proposes deeper circumcisions for the rich
Historians: Before HOPE & CHANGE there was HEMP & CHOOM at ten bucks a bag
Cancer once again fails to cure Venezuela of its "President for Life"
Tragic spelling error causes Muslim protesters to burn local boob-tube factory
Secretary of Energy Steven Chu: due to energy conservation, the light at the end of the tunnel will be switched off
Obama Administration running food stamps across the border with Mexico in an operation code-named "Fat And Furious"
Pakistan explodes in protest over new Adobe Acrobat update; 17 local acrobats killed
White House: "Let them eat statistics"
Special Ops: if Benedict Arnold had a son, he would look like Barack Obama | 0 | [
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FMD1654 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: When the Environmental Protection Agency proposed rules regulating carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, Scott Pruitt sued. When the Justice Department offered legal status to young undocumented immigrants, Scott Pruitt sued. And when the Obama administration sought to give tax credits to states that hadn t set up their own health insurance exchanges, Scott Pruitt sued.Since becoming Oklahoma attorney general in 2010, Pruitt has filed or joined lawsuits against federal agencies at least a dozen times. Even when Oklahoma isn t an actual party in litigation, the state often submits a legal brief against the federal government. Besides air pollution, immigration and health care, Pruitt has fought federal laws and regulations on banking, contraception and endangered species. These days, whenever states go to court against the Obama administration, the chances are that Pruitt is somehow involved.Not that Pruitt is alone. During Obama s presidency, the entire cadre of Republican attorneys general (27 at present) has coordinated cases against federal agencies at an unprecedented pace. But Pruitt is at the center of the action. He has set up a first-in-the-nation federalism unit, which seeks to combat instances of federal overreach by every possible means.Read more: Governing | 0 | [
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FMD1655 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Facebook Appeal for Boy with Massive Tumor Claim summaries: Rumor: CNN and Facebook are donating $1 per share to fund surgery for a boy with a massive tumor.
contextual information: Claim: CNN and Facebook are donating $1 per like to fund surgery for a boy with a massive tumor. Example: [Collected via Facebook, August 2015] Please Dont Ignore! His parents can't afford surgery so facebook and CNN are paying half of the expenses1 Like - $11 Comment - 10$1 Share - 20$ Origins: In August 2015, the above-displayed image urging viewers to share a photograph of a boy with a massive tumor in order raise funds for his medical care was circulated widely via Facebook. But neither the image nor its claim was new; the tandem was simply a reiteration of a hoax that had circulated more than a year earlier involving the same photograph and plea. This "raise money for a child's medical care by sharing this photo on Facebook" format of hoax is common: Previous variations include a child purportedly shot by a family member, a toddler who needed shot a heart transplant, a little girl from Poland in desperate need of money for burn treatment, a girl with a distended abdomen, and a baby born with its heart outside its body. heart transplant burn treatment abdomen heart As is often the case with these popular social media hoaxes, the image used was one of a real child suffering a real medical condition, and that image was deliberately selected with the intent of tugging at the heartstrings of Facebook users for purposes unconnected to the depicted child's recovery or well-being. The photograph used in this case is one that was widely reproduced in conjunction with 2012 news coverage about the case of a 9-year-old boy with a massive tumor who was brought to the U.S. from Ciudad Juarez in Mexico for medical treatment: news coverage A 9-year-old boy with a massive tumor was whisked from a dangerous neighborhood in Mexico in an armored vehicle by U.S. agents and taken across the border for treatment in New Mexico, his family said. The boy and his parents were snatched Thursday from the gang-infested neighborhood in Ciudad Juarez one of the deadliest cities in the world after members of a New Mexico Baptist church saw him near an orphanage and sought help. The parents of the child, identified by officials only as Jose to protect his family, said the tumor on his shoulder and neck has grown so large that it affects his eyesight and could move into his heart. With no money for medical care, the family sought treatment in Juarez and El Paso, but did not receive any help removing the tumor, which has afflicted Jose since birth. In November 2014, doctors in New Mexico successfully removed Jose's tumor: removed An 11-year-old Mexican boy who had been suffering from a massive tumor and came to New Mexico for treatment has had the growth removed. Kristean Alcocer of the First Baptist Church of Rio Rancho said the boy underwent surgery at the University of New Mexico Children's Hospital to remove the tumor from his neck, shoulder and torso area. Alcocer says the surgery lasted a more than 12 hours and involved 25 medical professionals. Images such as this one are carefully selected by Facebook scammers preying on the sympathies of social media users. Many folks believe that sharing the image is harmless: If the claim is true, the child is helped; and if it's false, only a small amount of their time was wasted. But these types of hoaxes are typically lures for the distribution of malware as well as clickjacking, clickbaiting, and like-farming activities, made all the more reprehensible for their dishonest and unauthorized use of such photographs. In any case, Facebook does not directly donate money based upon likes or shares generated for any purpose. Facebook's advice for charitable giving on the social network can be found here. here | 0 | [
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FMD1656 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter by a significant margin, even though he was behind by 6% in the polls. Claim summaries: The claim that Reagan won the 1980 presidential election in a landslide despite trailing well behind Carter in late public opinion polls is cited as a reason to get out and vote for Donald Trump.
contextual information: Two and a half weeks before the 2016 presidential election, GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump trailed behind Democrat Hillary Clinton by an average of 6% in national polls, a statistic that buoyed Clinton supporters yet failed to rattle diehard supporters of Trump, who had managed, as The Guardian put it, to "confound expectations" all year. As the smoke clears from weeks of political bombardment, White House watchers are convinced the only questions now are how big Hillary Clinton's win will be and whether the Democrats can take Congress, too. Those Republicans still loyal to Trump cling to the hope that all the polls are wrong and that in barely two weeks' time, angry voters will again stun the world. Over and over, Donald Trump is saying one word: Brexit. "We will win," he told a rally in Pennsylvania on Friday. "We will shock the world. This is going to be Brexit-plus." Hubris aside, some of his supporters remained worried about voter defections in the wake of the Trump "groping" scandal, prompting calls for an eleventh-hour get-out-the-vote drive, not to mention homebrew efforts to rally people to the polls, like the image macro below: groping drive. The Internet meme was accurate insofar as public opinion polls taken in October 1980 showed Democrat Jimmy Carter holding as much as an eight-point lead over Republican Ronald Reagan (a Gallup poll two weeks before the election had Carter at 47% and Reagan at 39%); yet Reagan won a landslide victory in the general election, beating Carter 489 to 49 in electoral votes and by almost 10% in the popular vote. (It should be noted that 6.6% of the popular vote also went to a third-party candidate, John Anderson.) To conclude from that single example that polls simply ought not to be believed is a stretch, however. The 1980 upset was anomalous, the polling organization Gallup says, and based on factors unique to that year's campaign. Reagan's late-breaking surge that year is generally attributed to the only presidential debate between Carter and Reagan, held one week before the election on Oct. 28, which seemed to move voter preferences in Reagan's direction, as well as the ongoing Iran hostage crisis, which reached its one-year anniversary on Election Day. After trailing Carter by 8 points among registered voters (and by 3 points among likely voters) right before their debate, Reagan moved into a 3-point lead among likely voters immediately afterward, and he won the Nov. 4 election by 10 points. By contrast, in 2016, the two major party candidates had already faced off in three head-to-head debates, all held well before Election Day, which resulted in little or no improvement in Trump's underdog position in the polls. Among the many issues and challenges facing America, none looms in the forefront the way the Iranian hostage crisis (and the Iranian Revolution in general) did throughout the final year of Jimmy Carter's presidency. As Jonathan Chait noted back in 2012 when Republican challenger Mitt Romney found himself in a similar underdog position against incumbent president Barack Obama in that year's campaign home stretch: "In 1980, the economy cratered (nothing remotely comparable has occurred this year), and then the Iranian hostage crisis, after an initial rally-around-the-flag blip, steadily corroded Carter's popularity." No equivalent of those factors can be seen yet today, and pinning your hopes on a scenario where your campaign suddenly picks up ten points in the final month seems to be either an act of self-delusion or a ploy to keep anxious conservatives at bay. John Sides similarly observed when commenting on the 2012 presidential race that the notion President Carter held a polling lead over Ronald Reagan in 1980 right up until the very end of the campaign is something of a misconception: "1980 is a poor comparison with 2012 for many reasons. One is simply that the economy is not as bad in 2012 as it was in 1980. But there is another apparent misconception in the Romney campaign, which Nate Silver rightly picked up on: Carter didn't lead Reagan for much of the campaign. The [poll tracking] plot shows what Chait describes, which is the ebbing of Carter's poll standing throughout 1980. Indeed, Reagan didn't need his convention bump—which he certainly got—to put him in the lead. The Democratic convention helped erode Reagan's lead, but it never closed it altogether. At the end of the campaign, Reagan did surge, but this only increased his lead. His surge appears to have been brought on first by the debate, and then perhaps by several other events in the final week of the campaign: 'On Friday of that week, the final economic indicator of the campaign showed inflation still seriously on the rise. And on Sunday morning, November 1, the Iranian parliament announced their conditions for freeing the American hostages. Jimmy Carter immediately abandoned campaigning and appeared on national television in the early evening to repeat much of what the public had been hearing all day. It was a week, in effect, with much that could affect the choices made by voters.'" Carter's pollster, Patrick Caddell, believed that Iran's rebuff doomed Carter, saying, "It was all related to the hostages and events overseas." Harry Enten of the statistical analysis website FiveThirtyEight confirmed that in ordinary circumstances, October public opinion polls are usually reliable and highly predictive of final election results: "In most years, the early-October polls [since 1952] were pretty close to the mark, with a correlation of +0.96 between the polls and the final result. Ten of the 16 elections featured errors of 3 percentage points or less, and in all but three campaigns, the polls were within 5 percentage points of the final outcome. Even in 2012, when Mitt Romney closed his deficit against President Obama after the first debate, the polls at this point still showed Obama leading. At this point in the election cycle, the average error of polls for all elections is just 3.3 percentage points (much lower than the 4.7-point error we found for just after the conventions), and every candidate who's been ahead in the popular vote in mid-October went on to win the election." Given the rarity of last-minute upsets, did Enten think Donald Trump still had a chance to stage a comeback and win the general election despite lagging 6% in the polls? "It's possible," he wrote. "But it would be basically unprecedented." Is that an excuse for anyone, regardless of party affiliation, not to turn out to vote? No, it is not. | 2 | [
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FMD1657 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Southwest Airlines Las Vegas Ticket Giveaway Scam Claim summaries: Southwest Airlines is not giving away four tickets to Las Vegas and $5,000 spending money to Facebook users who share and like a page.
contextual information: Scammers and malware purveyors are always looking for ways to entice online users into following web links that will lead those victims into the traps set for them, and offers of free airline tickets are prime bait in that pursuit of prey. Airline tickets are something nearly everyone uses and have considerable value, but their non-material nature and the fact that they're not tremendously expensive (compared to, say, a new car) makes it seem plausible to the public that they're something a business might actually be giving away for free as part of an advertising promotion. The name of Southwest Airlines, a major U.S. airline which is also the world's largest low-cost carrier, has frequently been invoked in various online "free ticket" giveaway scams in recent years. In February 2016, social media users encountered posts that appeared to be from Southwest Airlines, offering to give away four tickets to Las Vegas and $5,000 spending money to Facebook users who shared and liked a page. The primary type of free ticket fraud is the "sweepstakes scam," which intended to lure victims into completing numerous surveys, disclosing a good deal of personal information, and then agreeing to sign up for costly, difficult-to-cancel "Reward Offers" hidden in the fine print. The scammers spread links via e-mail and Facebook that purport to offer free air travel tickets to those who follow those links. These web pages (which are not operated or sponsored by Southwest Airlines) typically ask the unwary to click what appear to be Facebook "share" buttons and post comments to the scammer's site (which is really a ruse to dupe users into spreading the scam by sharing it with all of their Facebook friends). Those who follow such instructions are then led into a set of pages prompting them to input a fair amount of personal information (including name, age, address, and phone numbers), complete a lengthy series of surveys, and finally sign up (and commit to paying) for at least two "Reward Offers" (e.g., Netflix subscriptions, credit report monitoring services, prepaid credit cards): Pursuant to the Terms & Conditions, you are required to complete 2 of the Reward Offers from the above. You will need to meet all of the terms and conditions to qualify for the shipment of the reward. For credit card offers, you must activate your card by making a purchase, transferring a balance, or making a cash advance. For loan offers you must close and fund the loan. For home security and satellite tv offers you must have the product installed. You may not cancel your participation in more than a total of 2 Reward Offers within 30 days of any Reward Offer Sign-Up Date as outlined in the Terms & Conditions (the Cancellation Limit). Not only that, but the fine print on the "free" tickets offers typically states that by accepting its terms, the user agrees to receive telemarketing phone calls and text messages from a variety of different companies: Similar phony free ticket lures are used to spread malware. In those versions of the scam, those who attempt to reach the URL provided for the purpose of claiming the free tickets are instead victimized by a Facebook "lifejacking" attack, a malicious script that takes over a user's Facebook profile without their knowledge and propagates itself to their friends' accounts as well. lifejacking Southwest Airlines has responded to such scams by issuing messages on Twitter that read: "Hey folks! There is a scam being passed around on Facebook about a free ticket offer from SWA. Please don't click or share the links!" As well, Southwest spokesperson Christi McNeill has said of these attempts to defraud that "We are aware of the scam for free tickets being spread across Facebook. This offer is in no way affiliated with Southwest Airlines and we are working with Facebook to get it removed." | 0 | [
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FMD1658 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Home This Month Popular Feminism Has Lost The Minds Of Young Women Feminism Has Lost The Minds Of Young Women Maximus Decimus Meridius
Maximus is a Man, capital M, period. Love. Truth. Justice. Liberty. Respect. These are the lodestones pointing true to magnetic masculinity in a polarized feminist west. His goal for writing on ROK is to be the gadfly that provokes thought and counters groupthink. October 29, 2016 The Sexes
The idea that feminism is dead is gaining ground all across the west. One would like to think it is because of the trail blazing of the man-o-sphere, and to a great degree it is. But truly, the root of feminism’s death was in Man, capital M, from the very beginning. One look at Conan is all a man needs to know this truth.
Feminism is dead. The movement is absolutely dead.
The women’s movement tried to suppress dissident voices for way too long. There’s no room for dissent. It’s just like Mean Girls.
If they had listened to me they could have gotten the ship steered in the right direction. My wing of feminism—the pro-sex wing—was silenced. I was practically lynched for endorsing The Rolling Stones. Susan Faludi is still saying I’m not a feminist. Who made her pope?
Feminist ideology is like a new religion for a lot of neurotic women. You can’t talk to them about anything.
~ Camille Paglia on Rob Ford, Rihanna and rape culture for MacLeans.ca
Neurotic women indeed.
Paul Joseph Watson of Infowars/Prison Planet fame was bang on in his assessment of feminism at the end of 2014. But he may have underestimated his conclusions in my opinion. Feminists did not just lose the debate, they lost the war.
The feminist attempt to demonize normal male/female behaviour in public— men initiating contact with a female with a hello and attempt to strike up a conversation —backfired in less than a month.
When you have a woman volunteer to walk down the street as Princess Leia, the QUEEN of 70’s patriarchal sexist ‘misogyny’, to ridicule feminists, you have lost the war for hearts and minds.
And when I say hearts and minds… I mean the silent majority of young women who want NOTHING to do with feminism.
Leia makes it clear in this video that boys will be boys. So too will jawas, Darth Vader and even Yoda apparently, that sly dude. Who knew?
And that’s a good thing! Men and women are meant to interact and engage in romantic courtship. Feminists may hate this, but the vast majority of women still prefer, and expect, the man to take the initiative to get the girl. This is how men and women were created and evolved, you can’t fight Darwin and God and come out on top.
This video shows that the majority of NORMAL women LOVE male attention. They WANT men to look at them. They WANT men to notice them. Why?
THEY WANT A MAN!!!
I realized this is the case when I decided to google the fast rising phenomenon of women against feminism .
This image from the Women Against Feminism Tumblr page really hits home the loss for feminism. This woman was raped. She is not running around spreading lies like the UVA RAPE HOAX story that Rolling Stone ran and had to retract . She justs wants to go back to living a normal life. She does not want to be angry at ALL men for the crime of ONE of them. She does not want to demonize all men in some sad attempt to get revenge. She does not want to be a victim. Feminists have lost the female youth of Millenials, the very generation that is supposed to obliterate the patriarchy completely in the 21st century.
I understand some men who are still angry over feminism may proclaim these women are doing nothing more than crying for sympathy and attention now that Millenial men have become vocal, blunt and merciless in their attacks against feminism and the current generation of ‘women’ it has reared . The problem with this type of knee-jerk reaction is just that—you’re being a jerk. Yes, far too many western women for comfort are no good for a relationship anymore. But, that does not also translate into there being no young women who are not just as frustrated and angry at feminism as you are and the feminists who claim to speak for them.
Young women might not think about it as much since feminism has clearly made the road to independence (an illusion) easier for them to choose, but these women are taking note that men are completely ignoring them now that they have surpassed men in almost all aspects of western society.
Case in point.
I met a wonderful young Russian blonde a little while back. Twenty-three. Tight. Feminine. So freaking perfect. We hit it off immediately on first contact. Having myself only traveled outside the west twice, I still primarily meet foreign women in my own country and every time I do, I am blown away by their immediate friendliness and ease in my company compared to western girls. As I conversed with this well educated and refined young Russian lady, she told me she was attending university and so naturally, I asked her what she noticed most about the boys on campus compared to back home.
Her answer was revealing… Boys? They completely ignore the girls. Don’t even look at them. Just walk on by.
This really surprised her. Being a feminine Russian girl who expects men to look at women, this behaviour by western men was completely alien to her.
Men, young boys, in their prime 20s, completely ignoring women on campus as they go about their day.
According to Wikipedia, women against feminism started on Tumblr in 2013 . I see #WomenAgainstFeminism as a sign that many young women are fed up with feminism and male bashing in western society. It is not a sign of women speaking with two faces and trying to work both sides of the gender war to their advantage. All you have to do is look into the eyes of this young woman to know just how desperate these girls are for a real relationship, one with love and respect . I don’t think men realize how significant a movement like women against feminism is.
As men, we are naturally comfortable with open conflict and expressing not just dissenting, but offensive opinions. The very existence of women openly declaring they are rejecting feminism, and risking social ostracism in a wholly feminist dominated university climate, is why feminists are hyperventilating and going into ape-shit, mentally insane overdrive mode to try and salvage what support they have left . Here are just a few mainstream articles trying to push the meme feminism is not dead and just needs a ‘generational’ adjustment. | 0 | [
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FMD1659 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Mexico would keep trading with Canada under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) even if the United States opts to abandon the pact, Mexico’s economy minister said on Friday, as a fourth round of talks proceeded near Washington. “NAFTA, by itself, will not collapse,†said Ildefonso Guajardo, speaking on a Mexican television panel with Canada’s international trade minister François-Philippe Champagne. “The possibility is that the United States leaves the treaty, but the treaty itself would keep regulating relations between Canada and Mexico,†Guajardo said. Tensions between the three trade partners have increased after President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would be open to bilateral deals with Mexico and Canada, and warned again that he might terminate the pact altogether. A U.S. proposal to add a so-called “sunset clause†to force negotiations every five years has also triggered unease over NAFTA’s future. Guajardo and Champagne pushed back against the idea on Friday, saying a sunset clause should not be part of the modernized treaty. Champagne said a sunset clause would cause uncertainty. “We don’t need a sunset clause,†he said. “We need to take a long-term view.†Another point of discord emerged on Friday as U.S. negotiators disclosed proposals to mandate that at least half of the content of autos that benefit from NAFTA must be made in the United States, sources familiar with the talks said. Canada and Mexico oppose the idea, which is one of the Trump administration’s key demands to modernize the pact. | 1 | [
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FMD1660 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Pokemon GO Revelations/ Open Lines Pokemon GO Revelations/ Open Lines Date Friday - November 18, 2016 Host Jimmy Church
Filling in for George, Jimmy Church ( ) will be joined by Bryan Lunduke , a technology journalist for Network World, an author of nerdy books, podcaster, and creator of absurd videos. He'll discuss how the Pokemon GO app was developed by In-Q-Tel corporation which is the venture capital firm of the CIA, and how downloading the app, opens phones and provides the CIA access to all the personal data they contain. Followed by Open Lines in the latter half. Website(s): | 0 | [
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FMD1661 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: U.S. President Donald Trump is no stranger to controversy and he has often come in for sharp criticism both at home and overseas, but in the town of Subic in the Philippines, he s a hero. Once home to one of the biggest U.S. naval facilities in the world, Subic is a haven for retired servicemen who seem thrilled that Trump is visiting the Philippines, and convinced the divisive tycoon can do no wrong. Trump, I back him big time, said Mike McCarthy, a former master chief with the U.S. 7th Fleet, drinking in one of the American-themed bars that line Subic s main street, with names like Alaska , Crazy Horse and Rolling Stone . They won t allow him to govern, but he s smarter than them, always a step ahead, he said of opponents of Trump. The U.S. president arrives in the capital Manila on Sunday for a summit of Asian leaders, on the last leg of a tour that has taken him to Japan, South Korea, China and Vietnam. He s just doing things a different way, his Tweeting, his strong words. But where has he made a wrong call yet? said McCarthy. A native of Florida who has lived in Subic for a decade, McCarthy said Trump s respect for veterans meant he s a big hit with them and among the military. If he asked me to come and meet him in Manila, I d be there in a shot, he added. Trump is set to meet Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and will try to shore up relations strained by the mercurial Duterte s notorious anti-U.S. sentiment and his enthusiasm for better ties with Russia and China. Others who will be in Manila for the summit meetings include Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Russian Premier Dmitry Medvedev and leaders from Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand and member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The Philippines will deploy nearly 60,000 police and army personnel to provide security. The Philippines has for decades been a key U.S. defense ally and although the base was closed in 1992, Subic has since received a regular flow of retirees and visits by U.S. warships for repairs, resupply and exercises. About 220,000 Americans, many of them military veterans, live in the Philippines. An additional 650,000 visit each year, according to U.S. State Department figures. Subic has maintained its American feel, with bars offering military discounts and restaurants serving anything from baby-back ribs, buffalo wings and steaks to burgers named shotgun and an omelette called the sheriff . It has tattoo parlors, liquor stores with signs advertising bourbon whiskey and a Harley Davidson repair shop servicing the easy-rider motorcycles that have long been a fixture in the town of 100,000 people, about a three-hour drive north from Manila. Veteran James Goodman, 51, has owned six bars during his 13 years in Subic. His latest venture, Sit-n-Bull , has bar games, live sports and rock music that competes with the lively chatter of tattoo-clad patrons in tank tops. The walls are adorned with vehicle license plates from Florida, Ohio, California and Nevada, next to a neon-lit USA sign in red, white and blue. A guitar hangs next to a wood carving of a native Indian and an American Football playoff schedule offering hot dog promotions. I m very glad Donald Trump is coming here, I believe he and President Duterte will get along, said Goodman, from New Jersey. He s for the American people ... I look forward to his leadership, I look forward to his re-election. I d love to meet Trump, I d love to buy him a beer. His business partner Ronn Oliver, 54, who runs a nearby restaurant of the same name, says veterans appreciate Trump and recognize his shrewdness. He knows what he s doing, he shocks, but he sets up his opponents, he plays them, he knows what reaction he s gonna get, said Oliver, a former serviceman and commercial fisherman from Seattle, Washington. He needs to build more support, so people can catch up with what he s doing. They ve gotta give him a couple of years to get into it. Christopher Lamb, 48, a fisherman who said he is from Florida, says he shook Trump s hand four decades ago. Wearing a baseball cap and white vest, he offers a few slurred words that show his pride in Trump s rise to the presidency. I met this man, he was nothing then, and now he s the most powerful man in the world, said Lamb. Retiree Mike Allen, 66, from Ohio, has lived in Subic for a year and recognizes he might be the lone dissenter when it comes to Trump. The military guys here, they love him, he said, with a shake of the head. He says one thing one day and another thing the next. He s isolating us and he loves white supremacists. An American president can t be like that. | 1 | [
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FMD1662 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Britain wants an outline agreement with the European Union by the end of March 2018 on the transitional arrangements that will apply temporarily after it leaves the bloc, Brexit minister David Davis said on Wednesday. Davis was addressing confusion caused by Prime Minister Theresa May this week over the exit timetable, but he then stumbled into a new row about when lawmakers would get to vote on a final deal. His department later issued a clarification. May is seeking a so-called implementation period of around two years after Britain s exit from the EU in March 2019, during which its access to the EU single market would stay largely unchanged while new arrangements are put in place. I would be aiming to get certainly the outlines of it agreed, if we could, in the first quarter (of 2018) ... but it s a negotiation, Davis told a parliamentary committee. Earlier this week May unnerved corporate executives, keen to know the trading rules they will face, by saying any transitional deal would not be agreed until the entire exit agreement was sealed, more likely towards the end of 2018. Last week EU leaders said at a summit that they would begin preparations to move into phase two of the Brexit negotiations in December, a step forward that would allow London to discuss its future trade relationship with the bloc. Davis said he expected to receive guidance from the EU on its approach to a transitional period by December, and that a deal allowing Britain to maintain conditions similar to the status quo would be struck quickly afterwards. However, having reassured businesses on the trade deal, Davis then angered lawmakers by suggesting the EU would push negotiations right up to the end of March 2019, meaning parliament might have to vote to approve the exit deal after Britain had already departed the bloc. Political opponents accused the government of trying to subvert democracy by not giving parliament a proper say. A spokeswoman for Davis department later issued a clarification, saying the government was working to get the final deal agreed by October 2018 and that it intended to give lawmakers a vote before Britain left. This morning the Secretary of State (Davis) was asked about hypothetical scenarios. (Chief EU negotiator) Michel Barnier has said he hopes to get the deal agreed by October 2018 and that is our aim as well, the spokeswoman said. May is already facing a rough ride in parliament on her minority government s key piece of Brexit legislation, which is on hold while ministers plow through hundreds of proposed amendments | 1 | [
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FMD1663 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir visited the war-torn Darfur region on Tuesday in an effort to show his country is ready to have 20-year-old sanctions lifted by the United States just weeks before Washington is expected to issue a decision. In July the Trump administration postponed for three months the decision to permanently lift sanctions, setting Oct. 12 as a deadline for Sudan to meet conditions, including resolving conflicts and stepping up its humanitarian efforts. Conflict in Darfur began in 2003 when mainly non-Arab tribes took up arms against Sudan s Arab-led government. A joint African Union-U.N. peacekeeping operation, known as UNAMID, has been on the ground for the past decade. Fighting between the army and rebels in the southern Kordofan and Blue Nile regions also broke out again in 2011, when South Sudan declared independence. Sudan had announced short-term truces in these regions in June and October 2016, after which fighting eased in Blue Nile and Kordofan but carried on in Darfur. Bashir has extended a ceasefire in response to the U.S. moves. After security and stability, comes development, Bashir said in a speech. He said Darfur s security has begun recovering and insisted that arms will only be in the hands of state forces. Just before leaving office, former U.S. President Barack Obama temporarily eased penalties against Sudan, suspending a trade embargo, unfreezing assets and removing sanctions. His decision was delayed for six months to allow Sudan time to meet the conditions which also included cooperating with the U.S. to fight terrorism and improving its rights record. Gabriel Belal, the spokesman of the Justice and Equality movement, one of the main rebel groups in Darfur, criticized Bashir s two-day visit, saying it aimed to give a wrong image to the international community that the war was over. Bashir s visit is not welcomed by the people of Darfur because he personally issued direct orders for ethnic cleansing, Belal said. Security, humanitarian and political conditions are tense in Darfur and there s no prospect for a political resolution. | 1 | [
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FMD1664 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: SANA, Yemen — Fighter jets from a military coalition repeatedly bombed a crowded reception hall in Sana where mourners were gathered after a funeral on Saturday, killing more than 100 people and wounding hundreds of others, according to Yemeni health officials and witnesses. The strikes destroyed the hall and so overwhelmed the city’s hospitals that the Health Ministry broadcast pleas on radio stations to summon doctors to help tend to the wounded, and families beseeched outside hospitals to donate blood. Yemeni officials said the scale of the carnage made it hard to quickly compile a complete death toll. Tamim a spokesman for the Health Ministry, said at least 104 people had been killed and 550 wounded. He added that the death toll was likely to rise, as rescuers were still working to remove bodies from the rubble. “There are charred bodies, and some were cut to shreds and couldn’t be identified,†Mr. Shami said, adding that children were among the victims. “Some of the people who were carried out of the hall were headless,†said Muhammad who lives near the hall and rushed there soon after the strikes. Others had “smashed legs,†he said. Mr. Hadrami said two nearly simultaneous strikes hit the hall, followed by a third about a minute later. Some rescue workers gathered outside the hall immediately after, scared to enter for fear of another strike. “It’s a very ugly massacre,†Mr. Hadrami said. Another witness reported four strikes spread over a slightly longer period of time. When asked about the strikes, Brig. Gen. Ahmed a spokesman for the coalition, wrote in a text message that coalition officials were aware of the reports and that it was possible there were other causes for the blasts. The Al Arabiya satellite network later reported that the coalition had not carried out any strikes near the hall. General Asiri confirmed that report. But in a statement, Jamie McGoldrick, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, blamed airstrikes for the destruction and said he was “shocked and outraged. †Others shared videos on social media that appeared to show a strike from the air. The Saudi bombing campaign is more than a year old, but it has been eclipsed by the wars in Syria and Iraq, and has been largely ignored by world powers. If the death toll is confirmed, the strike on Saturday would be one of the deadliest of Yemen’s war. The war began when rebels, known as the Houthis, and their allies stormed into Sana, the capital, and forced the government into exile. Since then, the conflict has fallen into a grinding stalemate, with the Houthis controlling much of the north and forces nominally loyal to the exiled president, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, in the south. A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia is seeking to restore Mr. Hadi’s government and has been bombing the Houthis. More than 9, 000 people have been killed, and many Yemenis have been pushed toward famine while extremist groups like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State have taken advantage of the chaos to step up their operations. The strikes occurred in one of Sana’s most upscale districts, at a large reception hall that residents rent for weddings and to receive condolences after funerals. The funeral on Saturday was for the father of Galal a Houthi ally who serves as the interior minister. Mr. Rawishan was not killed in the strikes, but other officials were, including Abdulqader Hilal, the mayor of Sana. Videos posted online showed dead bodies strewn about the charred interior of the hall and streets filled with ambulances rushing the wounded to hospitals. Rima Kamal, a media officer with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Sana, said the group had donated 300 body bags as well as extra medical supplies to three hospitals to help them cope with the influx of dead and wounded. Eric Jeunot, the head of the Doctors Without Borders mission in Yemen, said that at least 400 people had been wounded in the attacks but that he was unsure of the death toll. “Many patients need surgery due to burns and trauma from shrapnel,†Mr. Jeunot wrote in a text message. “Some are still in critical situation in the hospitals. †| 1 | [
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FMD1665 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Fifty years ago, the average GM employee could pay for a year of a son or daughters college tuition on just two weeks wages.
contextual information: Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley recently offered a striking comparison regarding American families and college tuition. Fifty years ago, the average GM employee could pay for a year of a son or daughter's college tuition with just two weeks' wages, O'Malley wrote in a post on Medium. Today, we are saddling our graduating kids and their families with more than $1.3 trillion in loan debt. We decided to take a closer look.
What did tuition cost? The easier part of this equation to nail down is the average cost of college tuition. According to the U.S. Education Department, average undergraduate tuition and fees—excluding room and board—in the 1965-66 school year was $607 per year for a four-year college (public and private) and $203 for a two-year college. (Adding room and board bumps up those figures to $1,375 and $884, respectively, but O'Malley said tuition, so we won't consider room and board.)
What did the average GM worker make? According to an article in the Aug. 25, 1964, edition of the Chicago Tribune, the average hourly wage in the auto industry that year was $3.01. That grew a bit after a new union contract was negotiated later that year, but a figure in that ballpark is about right for the time frame O'Malley was discussing, said Kristin Dziczek, director of the industry and labor group at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. Historical wage data from Ford, for instance, shows that the base wage for a major assembler was $2.91 an hour in 1965. Dziczek noted that workers in durable-goods manufacturing averaged 44 hours per week in 1965, with time-and-a-half for the final four hours. So a $3.10-an-hour wage (accounting for the increase in the 1964 UAW contract) would work out to $142.60 per week, or $285.20 for the two-week period O'Malley cites. If you ignore taxes—questionable policy, but one we'll grant O'Malley for the sake of argument—then two weeks of average GM pay would have been enough to pay for one year at the typical two-year college in 1965. However, it would not be enough to pay for a year at a typical four-year college, which would take a little more than four weeks of work.
What does the O'Malley campaign say? The O'Malley campaign stated they took the wage number from a column by University of California-Berkeley economist Robert Reich, who also served as labor secretary under President Bill Clinton. In 2014, Reich wrote that | 1 | [
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FMD1666 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: On June 29, Maman Sidikou, head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, received a cable from headquarters in New York in which his bosses laid out in no uncertain terms that the world s largest peacekeeping mission had to make cuts, and fast. Facing an eight percent, or $93 million, budget cut for 2017/18, Sidikou was told to revise staffing, slash fuel costs by 10 percent and streamline aircraft use | 1 | [
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FMD1667 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: A country’s spending on development aid and on defense are separate items, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday, responding to German comments about NATO’s target for increasing military budgets. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel had said on Thursday that it was not realistic for Germany to spend 2 percent of its economic output on defense and that other spending, such as development aid, should be taken into consideration. “Diplomacy, development aid, economic cooperation can be important to help stabilize a region,†Stoltenberg told a news conference in Brussels. “We have international targets, guidelines, for development aid, 0.7 percent of GDP and then we have a NATO agreement on moving toward 2 percent. But those are two different things, even though both are important,†he added. “It is not either development or security, it is development and security and the foundation of development is to have peace and security.†| 1 | [
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FMD1668 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Did Amazon Solicit Donations to Help Pay Worker Sick Leave? Claim summaries: After being called out for its approach to supporting seasonal and contract workers during times of crisis, the retail giant made some edits.
contextual information: Snopes is still fighting an infodemic of rumors and misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and you can help. Find out what we've learned and how to inoculate yourself against COVID-19 misinformation. Read the latest fact checks about the vaccines. Submit any questionable rumors and advice you encounter. Become a Founding Member to help us hire more fact-checkers. And, please, follow the CDC or WHO for guidance on protecting your community from the disease. fighting Find out Read Submit Become a Founding Member CDC WHO In early March 2020, amid the COVID-19 coronavirus disease outbreak that would later grow into a pandemic, the massive retail and delivery company Amazon launched the Amazon Relief Fund, which among other things, offers grants to contract and seasonal workers so they can receive sick pay if they contract the coronavirus. The $25 million fund established by Amazon sparked an online backlash after a liberal newsletter pointed out that seasonal and contract workers would have to file an application to receive the funds, and that Amazon, a behemoth corporation whose founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is the richest person in the world, solicited public donations for the program. Anger over the idea that a famously profitable corporation was soliciting donations from the public to fund sick leave for some of its workforce during a pandemic was initiated by reporting from Popular Information, described as a "newsletter about politics and power." The letter's founder, Judd Legum, posted this Twitter thread on March 24, 2020:We reached out to Amazon for comment and received the following statement: reporting Twitter thread We are not and have not asked for donations and the Amazon Relief Fund has been funded by Amazon with an initial donation of $25 million. The structure to operate a fund like this, which hundreds of companies do through the same third-party, requires the program to be open to public contributions but we are not soliciting those contributions in any way. Amazon truly did launch a $25 million fund to provide sick leave for contract workers and seasonal employees through a grant program to which those workers must file applications before receiving benefits. Although the wording on the page has since been updated to indicate that donations are not expected, initially the language did indicate that Amazon was seeking or at the very least suggesting donations. An archived version of the page from March 19, 2020, included this statement (shown in the screen capture below): "The Fund relies primarily on individual donations from individuals and support from Amazon.com Services LLC to fund this program."The page has since been updated. The highlighted sentence above was removed and the page now explicitly states that donations from the public are not expected, as follows:We reached out to Legum, who told us via email that he believed Amazon changed the wording on the relief fund page "because the optics were clearly bad and the company is trying to cover up its actions." Legum added that in his view, "Amazon has ample resources to simply pay their contractors while they are out sick during this pandemic." updated archived version updated According to Amazon's announcement, the Amazon Relief Fund will provide their delivery partners and drivers "the ability to apply for grants approximately equal to up to two-weeks of pay if diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed into quarantine by the government or Amazon." announcement Additionally, the statement reads, "this fund will support our employees and contractors around the world who face financial hardships from other qualifying events, such as a natural disaster, federally declared emergency, or unforeseen personal hardship. Applicants can apply and receive a personal grant from the fund ranging from $400 to $5,000 USD per person." The company also announced it is offering unlimited unpaid time off for hourly staff during the month of March. announced Whether or not Amazon actively solicited donations, the original wording on its Amazon Relief Fund page did call for individuals to donate to the fund. Even though the wording has been updated to state explicitly that no donations from the public are expected, a "Donate" button still exists on the page, which could be interpreted as an invitation to do so. We therefore rate this claim Legum, Judd. "Amazon Soliciting Public Donations to Pay Workers' Sick Leave."
Popular Information.24 March 2020. Galetti, Beth. "COVID-19 Update: More Ways Amazon Is Supporting Employees and Contractors."
DayOne, the Amazon blog.11 March 2020. Palmer, Annie. "Amazon Launches $25 Million Relief Fund for Delivery Drivers and Seasonal Employees Amid Coronavirus Outbreak."
CNBC. 11 March 2020. Greene, Jaye. "Amazon Workers Test Positive for Covid-19 at 10 U.S. Warehouses."
Washington Post.25 March 2020. [CORRECTION 03/25/20]: A previous version of this article erroneously stated that Amazon was offering "unlimited paid time off" to hourly staff during the month of March; that has been corrected to "unlimited unpaid time off." | 1 | [
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FMD1669 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: U.S.-led coalition air strikes killed dozens of Syrian soldiers on Saturday, endangering a U.S.-Russian ceasefire and prompting an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting as tensions between Moscow and Washington escalated.Just a few days ago it was reported that Putin felt that if anything happened to damage the tentative ceasefire agreement that it would be Obama s fault. Seems he was right.Reuters reported:The United States military said the coalition stopped the attacks against what it had believed to be Islamic State positions in northeast Syria after Russia informed it that Syrian military personnel and vehicles may have been hit. The United States relayed its regret through the Russian government for what it described as the unintentional loss of life of Syrian forces in the strike, a senior Obama administration official said in an emailed statement. Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in an emailed statement that Russian officials did not voice concerns earlier on Saturday when informed that coalition aircraft would be operating in the strike area. The 15-member Security Council met on Saturday night after Russia demanded an emergency session to discuss the incident and accused the United States of jeopardizing the Syria deal. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, chastised Russia for the move. Russia really needs to stop the cheap point scoring and the grandstanding and the stunts and focus on what matters, which is implementation of something we negotiated in good faith with them, Power told reporters. She said the United States was investigating the air strikes and if we determine that we did indeed strike Syrian military personnel, that was not our intention and we of course regret the loss of life. When asked if the incident spelled the end of the Syria deal between Moscow and Washington, Russia s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said: This is a very big question mark. I would be very interested to see how Washington is going to react. If what Ambassador Power has done today is any indication of their possible reaction then we are in serious trouble, Churkin told reporters. Moscow cited the strikes, which allowed Islamic State fighters to briefly overrun a Syrian army position near Deir al-Zor airport, as evidence that the United States was helping the jihadist militants. We are reaching a really terrifying conclusion for the whole world: That the White House is defending Islamic State. Now there can be no doubts about that, the RIA Novosti news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying. Power said Zakharova should be embarrassed by that claim. Churkin said Russia had no specific evidence of the United States colluding with Islamic State militants. The Syrian conflict has been a tug-o-war between Washington and Moscow for some time now. Both Putin an Obama have pulled maneuvers that could have been detrimental to all involved, but this latest air-strike was such an obvious and epic failure that Obama can t hide from. We have all felt that he supports the Islamic State terror group and if this accident doesn t show that then nothing will. Lets hope an pray that the ramifications aren t too harsh.The discussions are still being maintained in a diplomatic way thankfully and they haven t reached a level of action by Russia against the U.S. as of yet.H/T [ Reuters ] | 0 | [
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FMD1670 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: SOFIA, Bulgaria — The inaugural meeting of the European Trump Society packed the central aisle of a bookstore in Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, on Friday evening — women in furs, men in ski jackets, the floor glistening with melted snow. A live feed from the crowded steps of the United States Capitol filled a projection screen on the back wall. “The election of Mr. Trump means ‘You’re fired!’ to the political elites in America and the world,†declared Boris Angelov, a tabloid editor and a founder of the society, which is strictly Bulgarian at the moment but has wider aspirations. Ilia Lingorski, a former deputy finance minister, shouted from the crowd, “Bulgaria desperately needs its own Trump movement. †The inauguration of Donald J. Trump as America’s 45th president, with declarations of “America first,†was met with alarm in many corners of the world. But not everywhere. Pockets of celebration broke out here and there, in places where Mr. Trump’s nationalist message matched local stirrings, and his promise of friendlier relations with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and a harsher approach to Islamic terrorism were eagerly embraced. About 100 Trump supporters gathered around a statue of President Ronald Reagan in Budapest’s Freedom Square for a “Better World Order Inauguration Party. †The speaker was Zsolt Bayer, a prominent pundit who once referred to Jews as “stinking excrement. †Standing beneath a banner reading “Hungarian Deplorables for Trump,†he called on President Trump to combat political correctness, which Mr. Bayer said had created a world in which “only the white, Christian, heterosexual people do not matter. †“For decades, we have been waiting for a miracle that will stop our world from running to its demise,†Mr. Bayer said. “Now, we are hopeful that this miracle is in the making. †Mr. Trump’s support in Hungary rises beyond the small group in Freedom Square. The country’s prime minister, Viktor Orban, eagerly congratulated the new president on his victory. In Moscow, a chain of stores selling Russian military gear offered a 10 percent discount on Friday to all United States citizens and embassy workers. A poster advertising the sale featured a Mr. Trump, fist raised. Several celebratory parties were held in Moscow before and after Mr. Trump’s inauguration. At one, the crowd sang, “Trump, Trump, he is a superhuman. †Another featured a triptych of heroic portraits of Mr. Putin, Mr. Trump and the French nationalist leader Marine Le Pen. A group of Russian gunsmiths unveiled a commemorative coin declaring “In Trump We Trust,†and Life News, a Russian tabloid, reported that Mr. Trump had been declared an honorary Cossack. Political activists, media figures and dozens of foreign journalists gathered on Friday evening at a conference site just outside the Kremlin for a celebration of Mr. Trump’s inauguration, an event organized by conservative activists and a conservative television channel. Maria Katasonova, one of the organizers, declined to say who had paid for the spacious hall, meat pies and sparkling wine. “It wasn’t the Kremlin,†she said. Although the event pushed a sense of triumphalism, the mood among the audience was more skeptical. Many said they worried that “ elites†in Washington would stymie Mr. Trump’s efforts. “This is the last day we can celebrate,†said Dmitri Gusev, a Russian political consultant. “Because tomorrow, real life will begin. †Mr. Trump’s ascent was also cheered by President Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines. His spokesman, Martin Andanar, said the two men had “hit it off†in a brief conversation, leading to a likely “reboot†in relations between the two nations. Ben Razon, an American of Filipino descent who runs a restaurant in Manila, said of Mr. Trump, “I do hope that he establishes a good working relationship with President Duterte. †“They understand each other,†Mr. Razon added. “That should be good. †In India, where the right wing shares a strong political affinity with the American right, Mr. Trump’s inauguration was celebrated by Hindu nationalists and business leaders eager for more trade between the two nations. Hindu Sena, a fringe group, organized a celebration of Mr. Trump’s victory on Nov. 4 — four days before he actually won — and had earlier held a prayer ritual on his behalf. “Trump’s victory is confirmed early due to his thoughts against Islamic terrorism and love for India and Hindus,†the group’s leader, Vishnu Gupta, said, according to Reuters. In Egypt, support for Mr. Trump remained fervent among the country’s establishment. Hany Assal, a columnist for the newspaper, sharply criticized American liberals and Democrats for opposing Mr. Trump. “They are putting obstacles in his way,†he wrote, including “trying to start fights with Russia for no reason. †On the street, sentiment seemed to fuel a more subdued attitude toward the new president. “Some people think he is going to be bad because he is openly but the truth is, America has always been against Islam,†said Bashir Kashta, a Palestinian businessman, as he sipped mint tea on Friday at the historic El Fishawy Cafe in Cairo’s old Islamic district. Samy Abdel Mageed, 56, an engineer smoking a water pipe at an adjacent table, said he had “not met a single person who is excited about Trump or thinks he will change anything for better or worse. †“America is a country of institutions, and institutions are hard to change,†he said. At the bookstore party in Bulgaria, Borislav Tsekov, another founder of the European Trump Society, proudly surveyed the crowd of about 75 people who had trudged through slush to attend the event at the Greenwich Book Center. He described the society as a scholarly organization dedicated to studying Mr. Trump’s ideas. Mr. Tsekov, a former lawmaker who has been a member of several political parties, used the gathering to unveil his latest book, “The Trump Doctrine,†a study of the new president’s speeches and writings. Speaking before Mr. Trump was sworn in, Mr. Tsekov criticized the mainstream news media and the global political establishment, saying that they had unfairly portrayed Mr. Trump as a racist and xenophobe. “Well, isn’t he?†cried a voice from the crowd that was then shouted down. Mr. Tsekov was not able to listen to Mr. Trump’s speech on the big screen. He was too busy giving television interviews. But he said he looked forward to reading it and was certain he would approve. His Mr. Angelov, was delighted with the turnout and looked forward to fresh branches sprouting across Europe. “Trump is very popular in Bulgaria,†Mr. Angelov said. “He is a brand, you know? He is an international brand. †| 1 | [
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FMD1671 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Many of President Donald Trump’s critics are grappling with the reality the U. S. government will actually build the border wall Trump had pledged to repeatedly during his campaign. [However, those critics are still arguing the money put toward the project would be a waste. The main question now is how the government will pay for it, to which Trump had said throughout the 2016 presidential campaign that Mexico would be responsible for the project’s financing. On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell estimated the cost would be between $ billion. Similarly, House Speaker Paul Ryan had put the price tag at between $ billion. Assuming the cost is on the high end of those estimates at $15 billion, the total cost of the border wall would constitute nearly 0. 4 percent of the federal government’s $3. 8 trillion FY 2015 budget. While there are many other big ticket items on the federal budget, many of them dwarf the cost of a U. S. border wall. Here are a few: 1) The War on Poverty: On the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty in 2014, the Heritage Foundation’s Robert Rector estimated taxpayers have footed a $22 trillion bill for the effort. As Rector also points out, however, is that in that timespan, the poverty rate was the same that was when President Lyndon B. Johnson began the “war on poverty. †“The U. S. Census Bureau has just released its annual poverty report,†Rector wrote. “The report claims that in 2013, 14. 5 percent of Americans were poor. Remarkably, that’s almost the same poverty rate as in 1967, three years after the War on Poverty started. †In case you were wondering, the cost of this ongoing war would be enough to foot the bill for 1, 466 border walls. 2) The Lockheed Martin Stealth Fighter Jet Project: According to Reuters, the cost to build the fighter jet program is estimated to be $379 billion, which would be roughly the cost of 25 border walls. Back in December in a tweet, Trump criticized the costs of the project, which have been plagued with problems and cost overruns, and said he was asking Lockheed Martin competitor Boeing to price out a similar project. Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin I have asked Boeing to a comparable Super Hornet! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2016, Early on, some anticipated that throughout the lifespan of the the federal government could spent up to $1 trillion overall in building the fighter jet and for its maintenance. 3) A Day and a Half of Running the Federal Government: The federal budget is currently around $3. 8 trillion. If you take there are 365 days in a year, 24 hours in a day and 60 minutes in an hour, that comes to a total of 525, 600 minutes per year. Divide that $3. 8 trillion by 525, 600 and you will find the U. S. government spends about $7. 2 million per minute. At $7. 2 million per minute, that is $432 million per hour and nearly $10. 4 billion a day. With the wall at a cost of $15 billion, that would be roughly a day and a half of operating the federal government as a whole. 4) Medicare, Medicaid Improper Payments: A 2015 Government Accountability Office report estimated in 2014 the federal government made $59. 9 billion in improper Medicare payments and $17. 5 billion in improper Medicaid payments for a grand total of $76. 4 billion, or roughly the cost of five border walls. That same report found that when the $76. 4 billion figure was combined with 122 programs, including the EITC, that number in FY 2014 comes out to $124. 7 billion in improper federal government payment, which was up from $105. 8 billion a year earlier. 5) Maintenance of Vacant and Unused Properties: The federal government reportedly spent $25 billion annually in 2009 on maintaining vacant and unused building. The figure was cited in a 2009 Heritage Foundation report, which was calculated by Oversight Subcommittee chairman Sen. Tom Coburn ( ): Unused Federal Property: The figures have been revised downward over the year, to $8 billion in 2013 and to $1. 7 billion in 2016. However, the cumulative amount over the past decade would have been more than enough to finance a border wall. 6) The Littoral Combat Ship Program: The U. S. Navy’s controversial Littoral Combat Ship program comes in with a price tag of $29 billion. The project, which includes ship prototypes built in Mobile, AL and Marinette, WI, has been fraught with problems and targeted for those problems and cost overruns on a bipartisan basis by the ranking members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, chairman Sen. John McCain ( ) and ranking Democrat Sen. Jack Reed ( ). “Until these actions are taken, we will have significant concerns about supporting the procurement of additional LCSs,†McCain and Reed wrote to Navy officials last fall in a letter according to Bloomberg News. 7) Earned Income Tax Credit Program Improper Payments: The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is regarded by its critics as nothing more than wealth transfer program that exists under the guise of eliminating poverty. According to the Brookings and Urban Institutes’ Tax Policy Center, in 2015 the ETIC provided an estimated $69 billion in benefits to 28 million recipients. However, as the Washington Examiner’s Byron York pointed out, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration stated, “The IRS estimates that 23. 8 percent ($15. 6 billion) of EITC payments were issued improperly in Fiscal Year 2015. †Cost of building wall roughly equal to one year’s worth of improper payments in Earned Income Tax Credit program. https: . — Byron York (@ByronYork) January 26, 2017, At $15. 6 billion, that is roughly the cost of the border wall. 8) U. S. Postal Service: Even though the postal service generates revenue by charging for certain services, it still loses money that is absorbed by the taxpayer. The U. S. Postal Service has fallen on hard times given more efficient means of communication have replaced the need for the agency’s mail. For FY 2012 alone, the USPS lost $15. 9 billion. Although they have shrunk over the last four years, the agency has continued to post losses, including $3. 9 billion in 2013, $5. 5 billion in 2014, $5. 1 billion in 2015 and $5. 6 billion in 2016 for a grand total of $36 billion since 2012. The USPS also enjoys a federal monopoly on access to mailboxes and is exempt from local regulations and taxes that its privatized competitors do not enjoy. 9) NASA: Even though the last U. S. manned space flight was in 2011, NASA still has an annual budget of $18. 5 billion. A sizable chunk of that budget is dedicated to the agency’s Earth sciences division estimated at $2 billion, which has been at the forefront of climate change research. However, a recent Guardian article by Oliver Milman anticipates funding on climate change to stripped and rededicated to deep space exploration under President Trump. For the time being, NASA has been reliant upon the Russians to send U. S. astronauts to the International Space Station, which came at a $457. 9 million cost in 2014. 10) Farm Subsidies: According to Chris Edwards of the Cato Institute, the federal government through the Department of Agriculture spends at least $25 billion on farm subsidies. “The particular amount each year depends on the market prices of crops and other factors,†Edwards wrote last October for DownsizingGovernment. org, a project of the Cato Institute. “Most agricultural subsidies go to farmers of a handful of major crops, including wheat, corn, soybeans, rice, and cotton. Roughly a million farmers and landowners receive federal subsidies, but the payments are heavily tilted toward the largest producers. †To Edwards’ point, farm subsidies often go to those not necessarily of financial assistance from the government. Among those receiving those subsidies according to a 2015 Economist magazine piece are Walmart heirs Alice, Jim and Rob Walton, rockers Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen and CNN founder Ted Turner. Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor | 1 | [
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FMD1672 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Deceptive scheme on Facebook involving fraudulent ALDI coupons. Claim summaries: An offer on Facebook for free ALDI grocery coupons is not legitimate.
contextual information: In July 2019, an $80 coupon began circulating on Facebook for the ALDI grocery store chain. These shared posts were the latest iteration of the common "free coupon" or "free gift card" scams that frequently plague social media and have also targeted shoppers of chains such as Kroger and Target. A different scam coupon offer also circulated with the ALDI logo in December 2015, advertising a "get 40% off all purchases in store" promise. Another displayed what appeared to be a free coupon for "$60 off a minimum $70 purchase," and even one for $75 off: "Aldi has a coupon for $60 off a minimum $70 purchase. Aldi has verified this is a scam, but people are sharing it all over Facebook." These coupons are not legitimate, as ALDI noted on their Facebook page. These coupon offers are a form of survey scams that direct victims to either a survey on a website not owned by ALDI or what looks like a Facebook page for ALDI. The survey pages and the Facebook page have no affiliation with the company, despite being adorned with the ALDI logo. Both instruct people to share the bogus ALDI coupon offer on their Facebook timelines and submit comments about it. This page instructs shoppers to follow these "two simple steps" in order to get their coupons. Once the steps are completed, however, users are not greeted with information explaining how to claim their coupons. Instead, they're asked to take a brief survey that entails providing personal information such as home address, telephone number, email address, and date of birth, and are required to sign up for credit cards or enroll in a number of subscription programs to obtain their "free" gift cards. A version of the scam also surfaced in May 2016, and another later in 2018. ALDI responded to frustrated consumers on Facebook. In June 2017, a version of the scam touting discounts in honor of ALDI's purported anniversary also appeared on Facebook: "HEY FRIENDS CHECK THIS OUT!!!!! Aldi is giving Free $75 Coupon to Everyone to celebrate 103rd Anniversary! Each Person (1)- Go & get yours! ALDI-COM.COM." However, attempting to visit the linked domain (ALDI-COM.com) led to a "deceptive site ahead" warning and not to ALDI's official website. If you frequently use Facebook, there is a good chance that you'll encounter one of these survey scams again. A July 2014 article from the Better Business Bureau lists key factors for identifying fraudulent Facebook posts: " | 0 | [
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FMD1673 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Has the owner of Progressive Insurance contributed millions of dollars to the ACLU? Claim summaries: Progressive's former CEO, Peter Lewis, personally donated to liberal political causes; but he's been dead for years.
contextual information: In 2009, Forbes magazine ranked Peter Lewis at #366 on its list of the richest Americans, estimating his net worth at just over $1 billion. Lewis acquired his wealth primarily through his stewardship of Cleveland-based Progressive Insurance, a company co-founded by his father in 1937. When he assumed the position of CEO of Progressive in 1965, Lewis took over a business with about 100 employees and $6 million in yearly revenue; forty years later, Progressive had become the third-largest auto insurer in the United States, employing over 27,000 people with yearly revenues topping $13 billion. This success spawned chain emails and memes decrying Lewis's supposed political leanings and involvement: "This is a heads up regarding Progressive Auto Insurance. You know who they are. They’re the ones with the clever television ads featuring the perky brunette actress all dressed in white. What you might not know is that the chairman of Progressive is Peter Lewis, one of the largest funders of the left in America. He's your typical rich spoiled kid who took over the company from his father and apparently feels 'guilty' for his success and now dedicates himself to making it impossible for anyone else to become wealthy." Between 2001 and 2003, Lewis funneled $15 million to the ACLU, the group most responsible for destroying what's left of America's Judeo-Christian heritage. Indeed, Lewis is himself an ACLU member. One of the ACLU projects he earmarked his funds for was an effort to sue school districts that have drug testing policies. In other words, this individual wants teachers to be able to use drugs without fear of exposure. I wonder what he would think if all his own employees came to work under the influence every day. Lewis also gave $12.5 million to MoveOn.org and American Coming Together, two key components of the socialist left. The former group is perhaps the main organization used by the Obama forces to organize their activists; the latter group is a 527 political action group that essentially served as a front for the SEIU union members who ran ACORN. His funding for these groups was conditional on matching contributions from George Soros, the international socialist who finances much of the Obama political network. It's disturbing that Lewis made a fortune as a result of capitalism but now finances a progressive movement that threatens to destroy the free enterprise system. He reminds me somewhat of Armand Hammer, the former head of Occidental Petroleum who did business with Joseph Stalin and became his good friend, around the same time Stalin was executing businessmen all over the USSR. What angers me further is the way this company is targeting television shows watched by conservatives such as Fox News. Peter Lewis is making a fortune off of conservative Americans so that he can destroy our country. He's banking on no one finding out who he is. I think it's time we expose this individual. Peter Lewis personally donated a significant amount of money to various philanthropic efforts over the years, including hundreds of millions of dollars to Princeton and Case Western Reserve universities, and another $50 million to the Guggenheim Museum. He has also given large amounts of money to various political organizations, including donations of $7 million and $8 million to the ACLU in 2001 and 2003. (The former donation went to the Trust for the Bill of Rights, the ACLU's endowment fund; the latter was described by the ACLU as being earmarked "to fight Bush Administration policies that trample on civil liberties." According to the Boston Globe, Lewis stipulated that $5 million of his 2001 donation go "to the ACLU's drug-policy litigation project, which deals with drug-testing in schools and the medicinal use of marijuana.") Lewis also made donations of $3 million and $2.5 million (both of which were reportedly matched by billionaire activist George Soros) to America Coming Together (a liberal political action group which has since disbanded) and MoveOn.org (a progressive/liberal political action committee and public policy group) in 2004. Among his other causes, Lewis was an advocate for the removal of criminal penalties for marijuana use, particularly for medicinal purposes (he was himself arrested and charged in New Zealand for possession of marijuana in 2000), adding his name to a 1998 letter to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan calling for the initiation of a "truly open and honest dialogue regarding the future of global drug control policies," and becoming the largest donor (including $3 million in 2007 alone) to the Marijuana Policy Project. (The Progressive Insurance company, as opposed to Peter Lewis personally, supports multiple non-political charitable causes.) However, the "heads up regarding Progressive Auto Insurance" reproduced above, originally circulated in 2010, is now woefully out of date: Lewis stepped down from his role as Progressive Insurance's CEO in 2000 and after that date was neither an executive of that company nor involved in its day-to-day management. Although after 2000 he continued to hold the position of chairman of the board of the Progressive Corporation and was that entity's single largest individual shareholder, he passed away in November 2013 and therefore obviously no longer has any connection with Progressive Insurance. As well, some of the statements made in the above-quoted call for a boycott of Progressive Insurance were inaccurate and misleading: [A school board] policy required any teacher who suffered an injury on the job to submit to a drug test even if that "injury" resulted from being punched by a student. The drug test of two-time East Baton Rouge Teacher of the Year Peggy Reno illustrates how the School Board's now-defunct drug-testing policy was put into effect. Ms. Reno, a veteran and respected teacher, never in her life used an illegal drug, and her school never suspected otherwise. A student punched Ms. Reno on September 24, 2008. Although there was no suspicion that she was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Ms. Reno was forced by a School Board official to submit to an invasive drug test. Countless other teachers who have never used drugs and who have never been suspected of using drugs have been subjected to similar unconstitutional searches. The Fourth Amendment to the Bill of Rights forbids government searches when there is no reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing. | 2 | [
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FMD1674 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: In late November, Ukraine's Berdyansk and Nikopol gunboats and the Yany Kapu tugboat illegally crossed the Russian maritime border as they sailed toward the Kerch Strait, the entrance to the Sea of Azov. The Ukrainian vessels were seized by Russia after failing to respond to legal demands to leave the area.
Moscow described the incident as a clear provocation in violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and promised to suppress any attempts to challenge its territorial integrity and sovereignty. | 0 | [
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] | 0 |
FMD1675 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Glazebrooks, a family of three who last week moved into a semi-detached house in Coronation Street, say they have little interest in getting involved with the community in their new home in Weatherfield.
‘We like the quiet life,’ said 48-year-old Barry, an insurance underwriter. ‘We got the place at a knock-down price thanks to that recent thing we read in the local news about a tram crashing into a nightclub and killing four people. I only chose Weatherfield for the easy commute – which hopefully it will be, once the trams are up and running again.’
As a near-teetotaller, Barry added that he does not envisage spending much time in the local pub, the Rovers Return Inn. ‘Besides, what with the last four landlords packing it in in acrimonious circumstances, lorries crashing into it and it being burnt to the ground, an attempted murder in the cellar and arguments going on there most nights, it doesn’t sound like my sort of place,’ he added.
His 17-year-old son Philip, who has now settled in well at the local fee-paying academy Oakhill School, said that he had no plans for romantic entanglements. ‘Don’t get me wrong,’ he told reporters, ‘I’ve seen that Tracey Barlow from down the road and I definitely would, and I’ve heard there’s some lesbian action going on down at the Websters’, but I just have no time for that sort of thing with my A-levels coming up.’
Meanwhile, Mary Glazebrook, 45, who decided against seeking work at the local clothing factory because she doesn’t believe it’s healthy to spend all her time closeted in a single small street, is reluctant to mix with her neighbours.
‘I mean, take that Gail McIntyre,’ she said. ‘She seemed nice enough when she said hello to me, but it turns out she has a long history of feuding with her mother-in-laws, her first husband was murdered, her second one was a serial killer who tried to kill her whole family by driving her car into a canal, her daughter got pregnant at 13, her son is a borderline psychopath, her long-last father came back after 30 years and turned out to be gay, then to top it all she married the debt-ridden father of the son’s girlfriend and ended up in prison accused of his murder when he fell off a boat. Honestly, you couldn’t make it up.’
As of today, the Glazebrooks have no plans to have a housewarming. ‘To be honest,’ continued Mary, ‘I don’t think we could fit it in, what with hosting our swingers parties and sacrificing animals to Satan. Besides, I really need to have that conversation with Barry about how he’s not actually Philip’s dad – his brother is.’ Share this story...
Posted: Nov 19th, 2016 by Oxbridge Click for more article by Oxbridge .. More Stories about: From The Archives 0 | 0 | [
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FMD1676 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Germany s Angela Merkel began the tough task of trying to build a coalition government on Monday after securing a fourth term as chancellor in an election which saw her support slide and the far right making significant gains. With the Social Democrats insisting they will go into opposition and all parties shunning the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD), parliamentary arithmetic favors a Jamaica coalition of her conservatives (black), the pro-business Free Democrats (yellow), and the Greens | 1 | [
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FMD1677 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Certainly! Kandiss Taylor's campaign slogan is 'JESUS, GUNS, AND BABIES'. Claim summaries: The Georgia governor hopeful launched her Paint Georgia Taylor Red Bus Tour in February 2022.
contextual information: Curious about how Snopes' writers verify information and craft their stories for public consumption? We've collected some posts that help explain how we do what we do. Happy reading, and let us know what else you might be interested in knowing. Political hopeful Kandiss Taylor, who is vying to be elected Georgia governor, launched her campaign tour on February 17, 2022, and quickly became a trending Twitter topic after the GOP candidate was pictured alongside the words "Jesus, guns, babies." The campaign slogan appears to have been first made prominent by political analyst Arieh Kovler, who said on Twitter that the phrase was a hell of a campaign slogan. A look at Taylor's official website proved that her campaign slogan indeed read "Jesus, guns, and babies," with the added verbiage "morality over money!" A scroll through the South Georgia native's website also showed that she has served as an educator in the public school system for 19 years as a third-grade teacher, school counselor, testing coordinator, student-services coordinator, and homeless liaison. "The welfare, education, and safety of our children are of utmost importance to me. I want to see the focus of our government move to issues that matter and impact our daily life. It's time to move away from the manipulation of special interest groups. Money and power have no place in influencing our public servants," wrote Taylor. According to her website, those issues include a pro-life platform centered around gun rights, election reform, immigration, the economy, and education. Her website further stated: "She is passionate about the working class, mental health, less government overreach, education, small business growth, gun rights, our farmers, the economy, right to life, and election integrity. Put simply, Jesus, Guns, and Babies!" When asked what made her decide to run, she responded, "I can't complain about what is going on if I'm not willing to do something about it. The Governor's budget is 60% education, and who better to clean things up than a public school educator who knows where and what to cut!" Taylor took to social media on February 17 to announce her three-day campaign launch, "The Paint Georgia Red Bus Tour," which features her "Jesus, guns, babies" slogan painted in bold letters outside of her campaign vehicle. As of this writing, tour dates past February 19 were not made public. Snopes contacted Taylor for further elaboration on her campaign platform. We will update the article accordingly if we hear back. | 1 | [
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FMD1678 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: 21st Century Wire says Well, isn t this interesting. Saudi Arabian princes are giving lessons in democracy?Incredible. The headline reads: Saudi Prince Begs America to Reject Trump. In summary: here we have a hereditary monarch, from a Wahabi theocratic dictatorship now lecturing Americans on who they should vote for in their elections. During his recent dinner speech at the Washington Institute For Near East Policy at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, Prince Turki- al-Faisal (photo, below), a graduate of Georgetown University, made his passionate plea to the American electorate not to elect Donald J. Trump as president.NOTE: The word election is a treasonous concept in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and if you are ever caught asking for it you will not only be jailed, but will likely face capital punishment. The Mail Online reported:A Saudi prince has urged Americans not to vote for Donald Trump in the upcoming general election. Turki al-Faisal, who served as Saudia Arabia s ambassador to the US from 2005 to 2007, spoke against the presumptive Republican nominee during a foreign policy dinner in Washington, DC on Thursday.He blasted Trump s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the US, which the billionaire first formulated in December last year before renewing his vow on Wednesday. For the life of me, I cannot believe that a country like the United States can afford to have someone as president who simply says, These people are not going to be allowed to come to the United States, Turki said according to the Huffington Post.Prince Turki currently serves as the chairman of the Saudi Arabian-funded Washington DC-based think tank, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies. Interestingly, the Saudi Prince was sharing his Washington DC event stage with none other than Israeli general Yaakov Amidror, the former national security advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Amidror presided over a number of violent operations against the native Palestinian population, including the slaughter of over 500 civilians in Gaza in 2012Whether or not one likes (or loathes) the presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee, it s important to consider the Prince s comments in perspective So who is a greater threat to peace and stability in the Middle East and Central Asia, and elsewhere Donald Trump or the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? Let s quickly examine some of Saudi Arabia s progressive and democratic credentials.Oil-based MonarchyThe current ruling family in Saudi Arabia, the House of Saud, was installed into power by the British in the early 20th century. Since the development of Saudi Arabia s oil fields, mainly by US and UK firms, tribal elites have had the luxury of having money on tap , amounting to many trillions of dollars in continuous energy revenue, with almost all of the wealth channeled into the hands of hereditary and royal elites. Saudi s repression of democracy is not limited to its own borders, however. When a true Arab Spring event broke out in neighboring Bahrain in 2011, Saudi Arabia deployed its army to put down any popular uprising, and still patrols those streets today.More recently, their vast oil fortunes have been channeled into building-up a militarized state, and recently, with the backing of the US and PR cover by the UN, have openly waged war on its neighbor, Yemen.Regressive SocietyEven in the 21st century, Saudi Arabia still manages to win the near submissive support of the US and the UK, despite the fact that it is running an openly regressive, medieval theocratic autocracy, where hundreds of its citizens are executed in the street, many via beheading. Last year, in 2015, was a record year for beheadings under the newly crowned King Salman. PATRONAGE: President Obama paying tribute to the new King Salman of Saudi Arabia.No Religious FreedomThe Kingdom is also actively repressing its own native Shi ite population, as well as others who are not born into the right royaly-favored religion or tribe. Practicing Christianity is also forbidden in the Kingdom and any attempted conversion from Islam is punishable by death.Genocidal Military StateFor the last 14 months, and with the assistance of the US, Saudi Arabia and its GCC allies have been waging an illegal and highly brutal military war of aggression against its neighbor Yemen killing tens of thousands of Yemeni civilians and displacing millions more.World s Premier Supporter of Islamic Extremism and TerrorismHistorically, it is now accepted as fact that Saudi Arabia the world s leading financial supporter of Islamic extremist terrorism in the Middle East and beyond. This has been the case for many decades starting from the Kingdom s central role, together with the CIA and others, in supporting Mujadhedin militants and al Qaeda in Afghanistan from the late 1970 s and all the way through to their involvement in 9/11. This trend continues today, with Saudi, along with its tribal monarch cousin, Qatar, as the primary source of funding and support for terrorist fighting groups like Jabhat Al Nusra (al Qaeda in Syria) and also Islamic State (ISIS), as well as a direct financier of radical Mosques all over the world.Saudi Nuclear Weapon PlansIn the same interview this week, Prince Turki also dropped another bomb , so to speak, by announcing Saudi Arabia s somewhat disturbing ambitions to acquire nuclear weapons:Saudi Arabia has accepted the Iran nuclear deal, which lasts 10-15 years, Prince Turki said. But what happens after that is open to question. That s why I ve always maintained that we must consider all options, including the acquisition of nuclear weapons, the prince added though he emphasized his preference for a nuclear weapons-free zone in the region.So who is the real threat in the region and beyond? One thing should be certain by now it s not Iran, or Donald Trump.READ MORE SAUDI NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Saudi Arabia Files | 0 | [
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FMD1679 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Germans should be proud of what their soldiers achieved during World War One and Two, the top candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) said ahead of the Sept. 24 election at which his party his expected to enter parliament. The anti-immigrant AfD is on up to 12 percent in opinion polls, meaning it could become the third biggest party in Germany s lower house behind Chancellor Angela Merkel s conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD). If I look around Europe, no other people has dealt as clearly with their past wrongs as the Germans, 76-year-old Alexander Gauland said in a speech to supporters on Sept. 2 that has since been posted on YouTube. The Nazis ruled Germany from 1933 to 1945, during which time they killed 6 million Jews in the Holocaust. People no longer need to reproach us with these 12 years | 1 | [
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] | 1 |
FMD1680 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Is 'Public Homosexuality' Banned in Murfreesboro, Tennessee? Claim summaries: For a time, the city ordinance explicitly included homosexual activity, of any kind, as a violation of newly issued "community standards."
contextual information: On Nov. 17, 2023, California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted a Nov. 14 article from the New Republic on X (formerly Twitter) with the headline, "A City in Tennessee Banned Public Homosexuality and We All Missed It." This claim that a city ordinance in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, banned public homosexuality was broadly true when an ordinance on "community decency" went into effect in June 2023. However, explicit reference to homosexuality was removed from the code in November 2023. In June 2023, the Murfreesboro City Council passed Ordinance 23-O-22, a law purportedly regarding community decency that The Associated Press described as being "designed to ban drag performances from taking place on public property." As described by its authors, the new law "supplement[ed] existing civil and criminal sanctions for indecent behavior [by] barring persons who engage in prohibited conduct from sponsoring events on public space for two years and increasing to five years where the prohibited conduct occurs in the presence of minors." The bill included "sexual conduct" as one form of indecent behavior covered by the June 2023 enhancements to the code. This "conduct" term, however, was defined by "Section 21-71 of the Murfreesboro City Code," which had been in place since the 1970s and defined terms used in a section of city code detailing criminal offenses related to "exposing minors to harmful materials." That code defined "sexual conduct" in a way that broadly included "acts of [...] homosexuality": Section 21-71 "Sexual conduct" means acts of masturbation, homosexuality, sexual intercourse, or physical contact with a person's clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area, buttocks or, if such person be a female, breast. A literal reading of the new law, therefore, could have criminalized any sort of public display of homosexuality, even if such a display was not overtly sexual or sexual in nature. Then, in October 2023, the city, citing the new law, denied a permit to the non-profit Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) to hold a Pride rally, which the group had held every year since 2016. That decision was made on the basis of this new city code and the allegedly indecent material present at the 2022 TEP event. As reported by The Associated Press, the ACLU took up the case on behalf of TEP. The legal challenge is the latest development in the ongoing political battle over LGBTQ+ rights in Tennessee, where the state's conservative leaders have sought to limit events where drag performers may appear, restrict classroom conversations about gender and sexuality, and ban gender-affirming care. According to the 67-page complaint, the organization [TEP] has faced recent opposition from Murfreesboro leaders after conservative activists alleged that drag performances during the 2022 Pride event resulted in the illegal sexualization of kids. TEP denied the shows were inappropriate, noting that the performers were fully clothed. However, the city quickly warned the organization it would be denying any future event permits and later approved updating its community decency standards intended to assist in the determination of conduct, materials, and events that may be judged as obscene or harmful to minors. The suit alleges the ordinance violates the First Amendment by chilling free speech rights and argues that it breaks the 14th Amendment by discriminating against the LGBTQ+ community. On Oct. 26, the federal judge assigned to the case issued an order blocking the city from denying TEP's request for a permit to hold the 2023 Pride event. As reported by the Daily News Journal, the ruling tells the local government, Murfreesboro City Manager Craig Tindall, Mayor Shane McFarland, the Murfreesboro Police Department, and other city officials that they "shall not enforce or take any action pursuant to the provision of Murfreesboro City Code 21-71 that includes 'homosexuality' within the definition of 'sexual conduct.'" Against this backdrop, in October 2023, the Murfreesboro council took up the issue of removing homosexuality from the list of "acts" that could constitute sexual conduct. On Nov. 2, a proposal removing the word passed, with the change set to take effect on Nov. 17, the day of Newsom's tweet. As reported by journalist Erin Reed, "Good news. As of tomorrow, Murfreesboro will not have 'homosexuality' in its code banning public homosexuality anymore." That said, the new indecency law that Murfreesboro passed still contains very vague "community standards" provisions used to target Pride and LGBTQ books. Reed argued that while this change made "the targeting of LGBTQ+ people less explicit," the "vague 'community standards' section will still likely be used to target Pride events and books." The ACLU case is ongoing. "The parties agreed, and the judge accepted an agreement temporarily suspending enforcement of an ordinance designed to specify certain civil penalties against indecency in public spaces and to protect children from indecent conduct," Murfreesboro spokesman Mike Browning said in a statement. "However, other existing state statutes and city ordinances and penalties regarding such conduct remain applicable." Because public homosexuality is no longer explicitly prohibited by Murfreesboro city code, the claim made by Newsom and others is out of date. It is still possible, however, based on statements made by the local government and the broad nature of the law, that the portion of the code remaining could be used to prevent future LGBTQ+ events. | 2 | [
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FMD1681 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Donald Trump will name Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, an ardent opponent of President Barack Obama’s measures to curb climate change, as head of the Environmental Protection Agency, a Trump transition team official said on Wednesday, a choice that enraged green activists and cheered the oil industry. Trump’s choice of Pruitt fits neatly with the Republican president-elect’s promise to cut back the EPA and free up drilling and coal mining, and signals the likely rollback of much of Obama’s environmental agenda. Since becoming the top prosecutor for the major oil- and gas-producing state in 2011, Pruitt, 48, has launched multiple lawsuits against regulations put forward by the agency he is now poised to lead, suing to block federal measures to reduce smog and curb toxic emissions from power plants. He is also a leading figure in a legal effort by several states to throw out the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, the centerpiece of Obama’s climate change strategy that requires states to curb carbon output. In an interview with Reuters in September, Pruitt said he sees the Clean Power Plan as a form of federal “coercion and commandeering†of energy policy and that his state should have “sovereignty to make decisions for its own markets.†Pruitt has also said he is skeptical of climate change. In an opinion piece in an Oklahoma newspaper this year, he wrote that he believes the debate over global warming is “far from settled†and that scientists continue to disagree on the issue. An overwhelming majority of scientists around the world say manmade emissions are warming the planet. The Obama administration finalized the Clean Power Plan in 2015 as a key part of meeting U.S. obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement, an accord among nearly 200 countries to curb global warming. Many scientists say warming is causing rising sea levels, drought, and an increase in ferocious storms. Trump vowed during his campaign to pull the United States out of the Paris deal, saying it would put American businesses at a competitive disadvantage. Since the election, however, Trump has said he will keep an “open mind†about the climate deal, and also met with former Vice President Al Gore, a leading climate change activist. [L1N1E025U] Trump, a real estate magnate who takes office on Jan. 20, is in the midst of building his administration and is holding scores of interviews at his office in New York. Environmental groups and former Obama officials bristled at the choice of Pruitt, and some lawmakers, including U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, said they would fight his nomination. “Scott Pruitt running the EPA is like the fox guarding the henhouse,†said Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, which supported Trump’s opponent in the election, Democrat Hillary Clinton. “Time and again, he has fought to pad the profits of Big Polluters at the expense of public health,†Karpinski said. Heather Zichal, a former deputy assistant to the president for energy and climate change under Obama, said Trump’s choice was alarming. “You can meet with Al Gore on Monday, pledge to keep Teddy Roosevelt’s environmental legacy alive on Tuesday, but if you nominate the Clean Power Act’s leading opponent to head the EPA on Wednesday, you’re making an unequivocal statement about the direction of your leadership,†she said. Sanders, who campaigned for the Democratic nomination for president on a promise to combat climate change, said he will “vigorously oppose†Pruitt’s nomination. The EPA position must be confirmed by a vote in the U.S. Senate. But representatives of the oil industry, and some Republican lawmakers, were cheered by the pick. Scott Segal, an energy industry lobbyist at Bracewell LLP called Pruitt “a measured and articulate student of environmental law and policy†who helped “keep EPA faithful to its statutory authority and respectful of the role of the states in our system of cooperative federalism.†U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, also a climate change skeptic, said “Pruitt has fought back against unconstitutional and overzealous environmental regulations like Waters of the U.S. and the Clean Power Plan; he has proven that being a good steward of the environment does not mean burdening tax payers and businesses with red tape.†Trump aides praised Pruitt’s conservative record. “Attorney General Pruitt has a strong conservative record as a state prosecutor and has demonstrated a familiarity with laws and regulations impacting a large energy resource state,†one of the aides said on a transition team briefing call on Wednesday. | 1 | [
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FMD1682 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: A Canadian's View of U.S. Elections Claim summaries: E-mail reproduces an editorial from a Canadian newspaper about U.S. presidential candidates.
contextual information: Claim: E-mail reproduces an editorial from a Canadian newspaper about U.S. presidential candidates. Example: [Caldwell, December 2007] I received this as an email. Is this real? A Canadian's view of US Elections Theo Caldwell, National Post (Canada) Wednesday, December 26, 2007 An obvious choice can be unnerving. When the apparent perfection of one option or the unspeakable awfulness of another makes a decision seem too easy, it is human nature to become suspicious. This instinct intensifies as the stakes of the given choice are raised. American voters know no greater responsibility to their country and to the world than to select their president wisely. While we do not yet know who the Democratic and Republican nominees will be, any combination of the leading candidates from either party will present the most obvious choice put to American voters in a generation. To wit, none of the Democrats has any business being president. This pronouncement has less to do with any apparent perfection among the Republican candidates than with the intellectual and experiential paucity evinced by the Democratic field. "Not ready for prime time," goes the vernacular, but this does not suffice to describe how bad things are. Alongside Hillary Clinton, add Barack Obama's kindergarten essays to an already confused conversation about Dennis Kucinich's UFO sightings, dueling celebrity endorsements, and who can be quickest to retreat from America's global conflict and raise taxes on the American people, and it becomes clear that these are profoundly unserious individuals. [Rest of article here.] Origins: We've received many forwarded copies of the above-linked article, accompanied by inquiries from readers wanting to know whether it's "real" or "true." The article is "real" in the sense that it is indeed an editorial by Theo Caldwell, which was published in the December 26, 2007 edition of Canada's National Post newspaper (and reproduced in that publication's online version), offering the writer's assessment of the candidates vying for the nominations of the two major parties in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Theo Caldwell online Aside from the issue of its origins, the article is not classifiable as "true" nor "false"—it is an editorial that reflects its author's opinions. Last updated: January 14, 2008 Sources: Caldwell, Theo. "Democrat or Republican? The Question Is Shockingly Easy." National Post. December 26, 2007 (p. A27). | 1 | [
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FMD1683 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: At a press conference on Tuesday, President Obama could barely hide his frustration towards the would be obstructionists in the Senate who say they will block any potential Supreme Court nominee he suggests for the remainder of his term.When asked by a reporter what he thought about the political move by Republicans to block the process until after the next election, Obama didn t hold back. At times Obama s normally calm rhetorical style gave way to more and more passion as his disbelief in how badly these senators were behaving became apparent. In the past, this has not been viewed as a question. There is no unwritten law that says it can only be done on off years. That s not in the constitutional text. I m amused to hear when people who claim to be strict interpreters of the Constitution, suddenly reading into it a whole series of provisions that are not there. Republicans have spent the days after Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia s death arguing that Obama should not be allowed to use the next year of his presidency selecting a new nominee. Instead, they have feigned the belief that in the last year in office a president must sit on his hands until the election is over. As Obama points out, this has never been a thing. Notably, as recently as 1988, President Ronald Reagan appointed a new justice during an election year and nobody batted an eye.In a nice little dagger twist, President Obama then put the spotlight back on Republicans who vow to not do their jobs. Rather than allow partisan point scoring get in the way of yet another Democratic process, Obama suggested this could be a good moment to rise above that and show America that Congress isn t a complete-and-utter mess. This is the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land. It s the one court where we would expect elected officials to rise above day-to-day politics. This will be the opportunity for Senators to do their job.Your job doesn t stop until you are voted out or until your term expires. Obama also used the time to make it abundantly clear that he isn t about to be held hostage by the Republican obstructionists either. In one of the most crackling exchanges of the presser, a reporter asked the President if he would be nominating a moderate so that he might be able to appease Republicans and get them to do their jobs. He was not amused. No. No. Where did you get that idea? Obama reaffirmed that he would be selecting a candidate based on their merit and on the belief that they would be the best person for the job, not on whether or not he thought a group of conservative politicians would like the pick.As is typical in President Obama s second term, this was a take-no-prisoners moment. Having watched Republicans openly vow to stop him from accomplishing anything, even if it meant harming the country as collateral damage, his new strategy is not to even try to work with them. Instead, he has begun to call them out at every term. A name-and-shame scorched earth policy that is making it harder and harder for obstructionists to get a free pass to continue poisoning the political process.It s fun to watch.Featured image via NBC News | 0 | [
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FMD1684 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Facebook said on Wednesday its efforts to fight fake news during Germany s national elections included taking down tens of thousands of fake profiles in the final month of the campaign. Richard Allan, Facebook s vice president of public policy for Europe, Middle East Africa, said the Silicon Valley-based company mounted an array of efforts to ensure the social media network was not used as a platform to manipulate public opinion. These actions did not eliminate misinformation entirely in this election but they did make it harder to spread, and less likely to appear in people s News Feeds, the Facebook executive said in a statement. News feed is the central feature in user profiles whereby they can see updates from people they follow. Chancellor Angela Merkel s Christian Democratic Union secured victory in Sunday s balloting with fewer votes than expected, forcing her to enter complicated coalition talks with various parties to form a new government. The company said it made a stronger push to remove fake accounts when it observed suspicious activity following widely reported foreign interference in the French and U.S. presidential elections over the past year. Besides seeking to encourage civic participation and voter education efforts, it also worked closely with authorities, including the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), to monitor security threats during the campaign. Studies concluded that the level of false news was low, concluded Allan, a former British member of parliament who, in addition to his work for Facebook, has been a member of the House of Lords since 2010. A variety of German political experts and social media watchers had given the campaign largely a clean bill of health in terms of any wide-scale efforts to swing votes in the run-up to voting day. (reut.rs/2yIZRYq) | 1 | [
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FMD1685 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: A senior member of Northern Ireland s Democratic Unionist Party on Wednesday blamed rivals Sinn Fein for the collapse of talks on forming a power-sharing government and suggested the DUP would not compromise on the key issue of the Irish language. In the first public statement from the DUP on the collapse of talks, member of parliament Gregory Campbell accused Sinn Fein of holding back government with a narrow political agenda . Campbell suggested that the DUP would not accept Sinn Fein demands for additional rights and funding for Irish language speakers, the key sticking point in talks in recent weeks, saying it already receives ample public funding. We cannot and will not be party to an agreement that elevates the Irish language not only above all others, but above health, education and other vital public services, he said. | 1 | [
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FMD1686 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Apart from being a tetchy, hotheaded, rude, bullying, cackhanded, ignorant, malevolent and embarrassingly useless excuse for a scientist, Professor Michael Mann — the guy behind the Hockey Stick — is also the most outrageous liar. [Mann used often to claim that he was a Nobel Prizewinner — till someone unhelpfully pointed out that he was but one of hundreds of scientists who contributed to Assessment Reports by the IPCC (which did win the Nobel Prize in 2007) This week the shyster was up to his old tricks again, telling a string of porkie pies at a climate science hearing of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. Given how litigious the mendacious, bloviating poltroon can be — he’s currently engaged in at least two defamation suits: one against Tim Ball, the other against Mark Steyn — I obviously have to tread very carefully here. So I’d just like to say, as delicately and politely as I can to the Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State University: “Liar, liar. Your pants on fire. †Here’s the evidence: Porkie Number One, Mann told the Congressional hearing he had no association or affiliation with the Climate Accountability Institute (one of the numerous ad hoc organisations formed in order to give the harassment of climate sceptics an air of scientific credibility). Yet according to his CV he sits on the Climate Accountability Institute’s advisory board and has done since 2014. Porkie Number Two, Mann denied having called his fellow climate scientist and special witness, former Georgia Tech Judith Curry, a “denierâ€. “A number of statements have been attributed to me. I don’t believe I’ve called anybody a denier,†he solemnly told the hearing. To which Judith Curry, sitting next to him, replied: “It’s in your written testimony. Go read it again. †You can watch the moment where Curry smacks him down below: Mann then proceeded indignantly to quibble that though he might have called Curry a “climate science denier†he hadn’t called her a “climate change denierâ€. [As if there’s any meaningful distinction between the two slurs]. But this claim — as Stephen McIntyre notes — was also a lie. confronted with written evidence that he called Curry “climate science denier†Mann said he hadnt called her “climate CHANGE denierâ€. #FAKE pic. twitter. — Stephen McIntyre (@ClimateAudit) March 29, 2017, Porkie Number Three, Mann — busily trying to develop the case that climate scientists like himself are the innocent victims of vicious slurs — was asked whether he’d ever dismissed another of the expert witnesses on the panel, Roger Pielke Jr with the phrase “carnival barker†“You’d have to provide me with the context. I don’t remember everything I have said or done,†said Mann. Here’s one example: Mann said that he didn’t remember calling @RogerPielkeJr a “carnival barkerâ€. But https: . pic. twitter. — Stephen McIntyre (@ClimateAudit) March 29, 2017, And here’s Mann again using the insult — clearly a personal favourite — on Judith Curry: Mann also called @curryja a “carnival barker†pic. twitter. — Stephen McIntyre (@ClimateAudit) March 29, 2017, Porkie Number Four, Mann, in yet another bid to present himself as a persecuted martyr of Republicans, claimed that Joe Barton — the Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee — had demanded all his “personal emails and correspondence with other scientists. †This, again, was a lie. Barton had asked for Mann’s funding sources — which Mann, in his congressional testimony, said was fair game — but not for his personal emails. Here, once again, Steve McIntyre has the evidence. Mann: #fake claim tht Barton demanded “all of my personal emails and correspondenceâ€. Barton: funding info, which Mann said “fair game†pic. twitter. — Stephen McIntyre (@ClimateAudit) March 29, 2017, Michael Mann claims to be an expert on climate change and is frequently called on by official panels like this Congressional committee to speak on behalf of the scientific establishment. Is there anyone who still takes this guy seriously? | 1 | [
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FMD1687 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Donald Trump lobbed a veiled threat at the former FBI director on Friday, hinting that some of their conversations before his firing may have been recorded. James Comey better hope that there are no tapes of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press! the president tweeted.James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017It s unclear whether Trump was warning that the White House is recording his calls, or if he believes the FBI may have been recording Comey s.Trump said Thursday during an interview with NBC News that the two men have spoken at least three times since Inauguration Day.Watch President Trump tell NBC s Lester Holt he was going to fire Comey anyway:And on those occasions, he insisted, Comey assured him that he was not personally the subject of any federal investigations. He said it once at dinner and then he said it twice during phone calls, Trump said.He described a matter-of-fact exchange over dinner in which he asked an unusual question and got an unconventional response. I said, If it s possible would you let me know, am I under investigation? Trump recalled. He said, You are not under investigation . It is rare for a federal law enforcement official to tell anyone, including the President of the United States, whether they are being investigated.Even if Comey doesn t speak to reporters about the circumstances behind his dismissal on Tuesday, he may have a high-profile venue to tell his side of the story.The Senate Intelligence Committee has asked him to testify next week.The latest twist from Trump amid reports that he demanded loyalty from James Comey during the private dinner at the White House back in January.The claims from associates of the now fired FBI director. Comey had told associates that he was summoned to the White House for a one-on-one dinner with Trump seven days after the inauguration, the New York Times reports.It was during the dinner that Trump reportedly asked Comey twice to pledge loyalty to him as the new Commander in Chief.Sources claim Comey declined to do so but said he told the President he would always be honest with him.Trump is said to have pressed Comey on whether that would be honest loyalty , to which the FBI director said: You will have that. Sources close to Comey said he now believes this dinner conversation may have sealed his fate.This version of events is vastly different to the dinner conversation Trump himself described in an interview with NBC s Lester Holt on Thursday.The version is denied by the White House. But the president also used Twitter on Friday morning to say that it is not possible for my surrogates to stand at podium with perfect accuracy .While it is not clear if they are talking about the same dinner, the pair are believed to have only dined together privately once.Trump indicated that he had dinner with Comey at the former FBI director s request and said Comey was angling to keep his job. I had a dinner with him. He wanted to have dinner because he wanted to stay on. We had a very nice dinner at the White House, Trump said. He asked for the dinner? Holt followed up. A dinner was arranged, I think he asked for the dinner, the president hedged. And he wanted to stay on as the FBI head. And I said I ll consider and we ll see what happens. But we had a very nice dinner. And at that time he told me you are not under investigation , Trump said.Trump said he had asked Comey once over dinner and twice by phone if the FBI were investigating him as part of its probe into alleged collusion between members of his campaign and the Russian government prior to the election.The President showed no concern that the request might be viewed as interference in the active FBI probe.Comey has not spoken publicly to confirm or challenge Trump s account.During that same interview, Trump declared he had planned to fire Comey all along, regardless of whether top Justice Department officials recommended the stunning step.The White House had initially cited a Justice Department memo criticizing Comey s handling of last year s investigation into Hillary Clinton s emails as the impetus for Trump s decision.For entire story-Daily Mail | 0 | [
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FMD1688 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: A former evangelical Christian is ripping conservatives for repealing the Affordable Care Act.Bruce Horst knows what it is like to have pre-existing conditions while trying to purchase health insurance. Prior to Obamacare, insurance companies refused to cover him, leaving him and his family vulnerable if a health crisis ever arose. But because of Obamacare, people with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied health insurance.Obamacare literally saved Horst and his family from the threat of bankruptcy over a medical issue.But last week during a late night vote, Republicans in the Senate and House voted to repeal the healthcare law that covers over 30 million Americans.And conservatives cheered.Well, that didn t sit well with Horst, who despite being an atheist, probably knows the Bible better than most of these so-called evangelical Christians do.So Horst took these fake Christians to the woodshed on Facebook for applauding the death sentence Republicans just handed to millions of human beings. I have the simple conviction that it is immoral to give a person medical help according to how much they can pay, Horst wrote. Or maybe it s because of what I ve read in the Bible. In 2010 I had been a Conservative Evangelical Christian for all of my adult life. I began to realize that others around me despised the thought of allowing people like me the benefit of affordable health insurance. For some reason, all of the Christians that I knew thought that offering health insurance to people like me would put them at some kind of a disadvantage that they were not willing to accept. Frankly, they had been lied to so they believed those others were going to get healthcare and make their own healthcare inadequate.As a Christian, I believed that I would be judged on the Final Judgment Day on how I took care of the least of these as described in the Bible book of Matthew, chapter 25. I came to the sober realization that Christians around me had no such convictions. If they didn t believe Jesus words as recorded in the Bible, why should I? Then one day I discovered I could no longer believe any of it.While conservatives complain that not as many people are attending church anymore, it turns out their hypocrisy and heartlessness is one of the reasons why people such as Horst have stopped believing. Stripping millions of Americans of the healthcare they need just further proved that Horst was right to leave the church when he did.Horst went on to call out Republicans in Congress and blasted how the hypocritical conservatives are when they claim to be pro-life. I understand that Congress is about to take away the healthcare coverage of about 18 million of our fellow Americans. And they are doing this at the insistence of Conservative Evangelical Christians. I have friends who are alive today because of Obamacare. Probably all of us do. To me, this proves my Christian friends are not pro-life, but instead they ve been told they are as a matter of manipulation, probably to keep them putting money in the offering plate, or voting for the right candidate. One thing is clear to me, they are not really pro-life.I don t know what Congress is going to do with healthcare in the next few days. I would love to be surprised to find that President Trump has convinced Congress to extend healthcare coverage to all, and I would be among the first to be grateful for this. While even if this does occur, if my Christian friends insist that healthcare only be given to people based on their ability to pay for such care, I would have to believe that the Jesus of the Bible would say to them, depart from me, I never knew you. Just like He did in Matthew 25.In other words, conservatives are going to hell for condemning millions of Americans to suffer. It s not what Jesus would do and any conservative who says otherwise is only pretending to be a Christian.Featured Image: i.ytimg.com | 0 | [
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FMD1689 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: Sober.C Virus Claim summaries: Is the FBI sending out illegal download warnings?
contextual information: Claim: The FBI's "Department for Illegal Internet Downloads" is sending out automated warning messages via e-mail. . Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2003] Subject: You use illegal File Sharing... Ladies and Gentlemen, Downloading of Movies, MP3s and Software is illegal and punishable bylaw. We hereby inform you that your computer was scanned under the IP 94.195.57.211. The contents of your computer were confiscated as an evidence, and you will be indicated. In the next days you will receive the charge in writing. In the Reference code: #34510, are all files, that we found on your computer. The sender address of this mail was masked, to protect us against mail bombs. - You get more detailed information by the Federal Bureau of Investigation -FBI-- Department for "Illegal Internet Downloads", Room 7350- 935 Pennsylvania Avenue- Washington, DC 20535, USA- (202) 324-3000 Origins: The address and phone number given at the foot of the message quoted above are real (they belong to the FBI's Washington, D.C., headquarters), but that's the only thing genuine about this e-mail. headquarters The FBI may have an interest in tracking illegal downloads of copyright-protected material on the Internet, but they don't have a "Department for Illegal Internet Downloads," and they aren't sending out automated messages like the one quoted above to serve notice that "your computer was scanned" and the "contents of your computer were confiscated." If nothing else, the poor grammar and spelling "an evidence" rather than "evidence"; "indicated" rather than "indicted" should be an obvious giveaway that the message is a phony, and likely crafted by a non-native speaker of English. (The latter point is probably confirmed by the fact that similar messages stemming from the same source are sent out with subject lines in German.) The FBI has issued the following denial: denial Attention FBI e-mail hoax alert! Have you recently received an e-mail, purportedly from the FBI, with the subject "Your IP was logged," warning you about illegal downloading of movies and software and saying you are under FBI investigation? If you have, please be advised that the e-mail is a fake the Bureau, even though it does investigative violations of Intellectual Property laws, does not investigate or notify persons under investigation as outlined in the e-mail. It may also contain a virus. If you've received the e-mail, please contact the FBI at www.ifccfbi.gov. This message (which also arrives with subject lines such as "Preliminary investigation were started" [sic] and "Your IP was logged" is actually a carrier for an executable attachment which harbors the Sober.C virus, a mass-mailing worm that affects systems running any version of Microsoft Windows (other than Windows 3.x). When activated for the first time on a target PC, the worm displays a fake error message similar to the following: Sober.C Symantec offers a removal tool for Sober.C on its web site. removal tool Last updated: 29 October 2007 Sources: Varghese, Sam. "Invoking the FBI to Spread Malware." The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 January 2004. | 0 | [
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FMD1690 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Britain will have to bring in legislation to set a budget for Northern Ireland if the province s political parties cannot reach an agreement to restore their power-sharing government by Monday, a British government spokesman said. Northern Ireland has been without a regional administration since its collapse in January, raising the prospect of direct rule being reimposed from London, potentially destabilizing a delicate political balance in the British province. The British minister for the region, James Brokenshire, said last week that talks had stalled with the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party and the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) stuck over the rights of Irish language speakers. If a deal is struck by Monday, Brokenshire would return to London to begin the processes required to form a new Northern Ireland Executive, the spokesman added. However, if a budget is imposed by London, it would be the closest Northern Ireland has come to a return to direct rule in a decade. Brokenshire has warned the parties that they are on a glide path to greater and greater UK government intervention . The DUP and Sinn Fein shared power in the previous devolved administration under a system created following a peace deal which ended three decades of violence in the province. The head of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), one of the region s smaller parties, has said that handing over budgetary responsibility to London effectively constitutes direct rule and cannot be painted any other way . Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said a new phase of talks would begin if an agreement could not be struck by Monday. If there is no deal done by the time the British minister brings forward a budget, that will signify that this phase of the talks | 1 | [
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FMD1691 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: WASHINGTON — President Trump and House Republican leaders worked Thursday to win conservative support for legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, offering concessions to speed cutbacks in Medicaid and dismantle more of President Barack Obama’s signature health law. But in a bid to ensure passage of the Republican health care bill in the House, White House and Republican leaders risked losing support in more moderate quarters of their party — not only in the narrowly divided Senate, but in an increasingly nervous House. A faster path to Medicaid cuts, new work requirements for Medicaid recipients and potentially smaller tax credits for the working poor could mollify conservatives who are pressing for a smaller government footprint on the health care system, but they would cut deeper into the benefits that many Trump voters have enjoyed under the Affordable Care Act. White House officials have made clear that they are open to supporting amendments that would require a quicker end to the expansion of Medicaid under the 2010 health care law, according to an administration official involved in negotiations with Congress. Representative Joe L. Barton, Republican of Texas, and other conservatives want to freeze the expansion of Medicaid next year, two years earlier than under the legislation drafted by House Republican leaders. Referring to this change, Mr. Barton said, “The Trump administration is open to it. †But in an interview, Representative Leonard Lance, Republican of New Jersey, said: “I am opposed to that. New Jersey expanded Medicaid. I don’t want that to be eliminated. †The federal government pays at least 90 percent of Medicaid costs for newly eligible beneficiaries, and Mr. Lance said, “I would like that to continue for at least several years. †Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Mr. Trump was now fully engaged. “This president is getting deeply involved,†Mr. Ryan said. “He is helping bridge gaps in our conference. He is a constructive force to help us get to a resolution. †The political stakes for the president and the speaker could hardly be higher. If they succeed in undoing the Affordable Care Act, it would add momentum to efforts to enact other items on their agenda, such as tax cuts and a rewrite of the tax code. If they fail, it would embolden Democrats keen to block Mr. Trump — and conservatives still seeking to imprint their policies. But they are in a delicate dance with conservatives and moderates. Halting the expansion of Medicaid in 2018, rather than in 2020, “would be a huge problem, enormously problematic,†said Representative Charlie Dent, Republican of Pennsylvania, one of 31 states that have expanded eligibility for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. House Republicans appeared determined to power through, despite divisions in their ranks. On Thursday, the House Budget Committee approved a motion to send the repeal bill to the full House, where Republican leaders plan to take it up this month. But the vote in the Budget Committee portends possible difficulties. Three conservative Republicans — Dave Brat of Virginia, Gary Palmer of Alabama and Mark Sanford of South Carolina — voted no, joining a united Democratic opposition. “This legislation is a conservative vision for health care,†said Representative Diane Black of Tennessee, the chairwoman of the Budget Committee. “It dismantles Obamacare’s mandates and taxes. It puts health care decisions back in the hands of patients and doctors. †The Budget Committee endorsed a Republican proposal suggesting that the bill could be improved by imposing work requirements on certain Medicaid beneficiaries — adults without minor children. Representative Glenn Grothman, Republican of Wisconsin, said that Medicaid in its current form was “a seductive entitlement†that encourages people “not to work at all, or to work less. †That change would have to be made later in the legislative process the committee approved a motion directing Ms. Black to seek an amendment authorizing work requirements. Republican leaders acknowledged that they did not yet have the votes to ensure that the full House would pass the repeal bill, but Mr. Ryan said he was “working hand in glove†with Mr. Trump to achieve that goal. Mr. Trump “knows how to connect directly with people,†Mr. Ryan said House passage, Mr. Trump’s aides believe, would force the Senate Republican holdouts to consider whether they would be willing to vote against repeal of a law they have been pledging to undo for seven years. To make opposition even harder for Senate Republicans, Mr. Trump’s aides plan to deploy him to states he won where Republican senators may be uneasy about the current legislation. With no hope of winning support from Democrats, Ms. Black appealed to members of her party. “To my Republican colleagues who have doubts,†Ms. Black said, “I encourage you: Don’t cut off discussion. Stay in this effort and help us enhance this proposal by advancing it out of committee and pushing for further conservative reforms. Members who desire to see this bill improved have every right to make their voices heard. †Last week, Mr. Ryan appeared to reject major changes sought by conservatives, saying, “It really comes down to a binary choice†between the repeal bill and that status quo. But on Wednesday, after a meeting of the House Republican Conference where Vice President Mike Pence tried to rally support for the legislation, Mr. Ryan opened the door to changes, saying, “We can make some necessary improvements and refinements to the bill. †The bill would eliminate tax penalties for people who go without insurance and create a new system of tax credits to help people buy private insurance. It would roll back the expansion of Medicaid authorized by the Affordable Care Act and give each state a fixed allotment of federal money to provide health care to people on Medicaid. Beyond the faster end to the Medicaid expansion and work requirements for some Medicaid beneficiaries, some conservatives are still pressing to limit the size of the tax credit for the purchase of insurance to no more than the amount of federal income taxes a recipient owes. That would further hurt consumers who may owe little or nothing in income taxes, and under the current proposal would receive financial assistance from the government to help offset insurance costs. Democrats on the Budget Committee found support for their case in a report issued this week by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The report estimated that the House Republican bill would increase the number of people without insurance by 14 million next year and by 21 million in 2020. “In just three years,†said Representative John Yarmuth of Kentucky, the ranking Democrat on the Budget Committee, “the entire gains under the Affordable Care Act will be wiped out. †Some 20 million uninsured people have gained coverage under the law, which was signed by Mr. Obama seven years ago. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, Democrat of Texas, said: “This is a bill. It is not a health care bill. †Representative John J. Faso, Republican of New York, had previously raised questions about a provision of the bill that would cut off federal funds for Planned Parenthood clinics. But on Thursday he said the overall bill was needed to protect people against potential harm from the health law. “Many people across the country are happy with the Affordable Care Act,†Mr. Faso said. “But just as many, if not more, are seeing extraordinary increases in premiums, extraordinary increases in deductibles. They can no longer afford it. †| 1 | [
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FMD1692 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: The Iranian Revolutionary Guards arrested a member of Islamic State and foiled a plan for suicide attacks, a Guards commander said on Wednesday. Col. Amin Yamini, the Guards commander for the western Tehran suburb of Shahriar, did not say when the arrest was made but said the attacks were being planned for a 10-day Shi ite religious holiday that begins next week. The Islamic State member arrested was from the Syrian branch of the militant Sunni organization and had planned to organize about 300 people to carry out suicide attacks, Yamini said, according to Basij Press, the news site for the Tehran branch of the Guards. On June 7, Islamic State attacked the parliament in Tehran and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, south of the capital, killing 18 people and wounding more than 40. Iran has blamed Saudi Arabia for being behind the deadly attacks. Riyadh has denied any involvement. The Revolutionary Guards fired several missiles at Islamic State bases in Syria on June 18 in response to that attack. According to Yamini, the Guards tracked the Islamic State organizer, who had a cell phone and satellite phone, and set up a meeting with him in the western Tehran suburb of Andisheh by posing as Islamic State members. When the person showed up, he was arrested. Valuable information has been gleaned from his cell phone, Yamini said, according to Basij Press. | 1 | [
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FMD1693 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: 21st Century Wire says Based on the events we have seen over the past two months the Democrat-organized street protests and calls to abolish the Electoral College, Democrat intimidation of electors, the pseudo recount by the Democratic Party and their willing agent Jill Stein, the evidence-free DNI Report on the alleged Russian Hack and the fake Trump-Russia Blackmail dossier, as well as radical left-wing plans to shut down next week s inauguration and block the transfer of power in Washington you can be absolutely certain that the losing party will not give up and have yet to unveil some more audacious plans designed to unseat the new 45th President of the United States, Donald J Trump. If Trump makes it past the inauguration on Jan 20th, expect a serious purge to take place in Washington DC, as the new administration attempt to remove those who are hell-bent on sabotaging the political process and transfer of power.All you need to know about this dodgy dossier fabricated and then laundered by anti-Russian war hawk John McCain in a way which seems to be standard practice for Washington s political and media hacks alike: But this is what one would expect of a document based entirely of hearsay in which Source A claims to have gotten a juicy tidbit from Source B, who heard it from Source C deep inside the Kremlin. Constortium News Exclusive: The U.S. intelligence community s unprecedented assault on an incoming U.S. president now including spreading salacious rumors raises questions about how long Donald Trump can hold the White House, says Daniel Lazare Daniel Lazare Consortium NewsIs a military coup in the works? Or are U.S. intelligence agencies laying the political groundwork for forcing Donald Trump from the presidency because they can t abide his rejection of a new cold war with Russia? Not long ago, even asking such questions would have marked one as the sort of paranoid nut who believes that lizard people run the government. But no longer.Thanks to the now-notorious 35-page dossier concerning Donald Trump s alleged sexual improprieties in a Moscow luxury hotel, it s clear that strange maneuverings are underway in Washington and that no one is quite sure how they will end.Director of National Intelligence James Clapper added to the mystery Wednesday evening by releasing a 200-word statement to the effect that he was shocked, shocked, that the dossier had found its way into the press. Such leaks, the statement said, are extremely corrosive and damaging to our national security. Clapper added: that this document is not a US Intelligence Community product and that I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC. The IC has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions. However, part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security. Rather than vouching for the dossier s contents, in other words, all Clapper says he did was inform Trump that it was making the rounds in Washington and that he should know what it said and that he thus couldn t have been more horrified than when Buzzfeed posted all 35 pages on its website.But it doesn t make sense. As The New York Times noted, putting the summary in a report that went to multiple people in Congress and the executive branch made it very likely that it would be leaked (emphasis in the original). So even if the intelligence community didn t leak the dossier itself, it distributed it knowing that someone else would.Then there is The Guardian, second to none in its loathing for Trump and Vladimir Putin and hence intent on giving the dossier the best possible spin. It printed a quasi-defense not of the memo itself but of the man who wrote it: Christopher Steele, an ex-MI6 officer who now heads his own private intelligence firm. A sober, cautious and meticulous professional with a formidable record is how the Guardiandescribed him. Then it quoted an unnamed ex-Foreign Office official on the subject of Steele s credibility: The idea his work is fake or a cowboy operation is false, completely untrue. Chris is an experienced and highly regarded professional. He s not the sort of person who will simply pass on gossip. If he puts something in a report, he believes there s sufficient credibility in it for it to be worth considering. Chris is a very straight guy. He could not have survived in the job he was in if he had been prone to flights of fancy or doing things in an ill-considered way. In other words, Steele is a straight-shooter, so it s worth paying attention to what he has to say. Or so the Guardian assures us. That is the way the CIA and the FBI, not to mention the British government, regarded him, too, it adds, so presumably Clapper felt the same way.What is Afoot?So what does it all mean? Simply that U.S. intelligence agencies believed that the dossier came from a reliable source and that, as a consequence, there was a significant possibility that Trump was a Siberian candidate, as Times columnist Paul Krugman once described him. They therefore sent out multiple copies of a two-page summary on the assumption that at least one would find its way to the press.Even if Clapper & Co. took no position concerning the dossier s contents, they knew that preparing and distributing such a summary amounted to a tacit endorsement. They also knew, presumably, that it would provide editors with an excuse to go public. If the CIA, FBI, and National Security Agency feel that Steele s findings are worthy of attention, then why shouldn t the average reader have an opportunity to examine them as well?How did Clapper expect Trump to respond when presented with allegations that he was vulnerable to Russian blackmail and potentially under the Kremlin s thumb? Did he expect him to hang his head in shame, break into great racking sobs, and admit that it was all true? If so, did Clapper \then plan to place a comforting hand on Trump s shoulder and suggest, gently but firmly, that it was time to step aside and allow a trusted insider like Mike Pence to take the reins?Based on the sturm und drang of the last few days, the answer is very possibly yes. If so, the gambit failed when Trump, in his usual high-voltage manner, denounced the dossier as fake news and sailed into the intelligence agencies for behaving like something out of Nazi Germany. The intelligence community s hopes, if that s what they were, were dashed.All of which is thoroughly unprecedented by American political standards. After all, this is a country that takes endless pride in the peaceful transfer of power every four years or so. Yet here was the intelligence community attempting to short-circuit the process by engineering Trump s removal before he even took office.But the Guardian then upped the ante even more by suggesting that the CIA continue with the struggle. Plainly, the Republican congressional leadership has no appetite for an inquiry into Steele s findings, the paper s New York correspondent, Ed Pilkington, wrote, adding: That leaves the intelligence agencies. The danger for Trump here is that he has so alienated senior officials, not least by likening them to Nazis, that he has hardly earned their loyalty. What was the Guardian suggesting that disloyal intelligence agents keep on searching regardless? And what if they come up with what they claim is a smoking gun?Explained Pilkington: To take a flight of fancy, what if it [i.e. Steele s findings] were substantiated? That would again come down to a question of politics. No US president has ever been forced out of office by impeachment (Richard Nixon resigned before the vote; Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were acquitted by the Senate). Any such procedure would have to be prepared and approved by a majority of the House of Representatives, and then passed to the Senate for a two-thirds majority vote. As the Republicans hold the reins in both chambers, it would take an almighty severing of ties between Trump and his own party to even get close to such a place. It s a long shot, but the Guardian s recommendation is that rogue agents keep on digging until they strike pay dirt, at which point they should go straight to Congress and persuade if not pressure the Republican leadership to initiate the process of throwing Trump out of office.This is not the same as sending an armored column to attack Capitol Hill, but it s close. Essentially, the Guardian was calling on the intelligence agencies to assume ultimate responsibility regarding who can sit in the Oval Office and who cannot Continue this story at Consortium NewsREAD MORE ELECTIONS NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire 2016 FilesSUPPORT OUR WORK BY SUBSCRIBING & BECOMING A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV | 0 | [
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FMD1694 | Task: Please determine whether the claim is 0. False, 1. True, or 2. Not Enough Information (NEI) based on contextual information, and provide an appropriate explanation.
The answer need to use the following format:
Prediction: [0. False, 1. True, or 2. NEI]
Explanation: [Explain why the above prediction was made]
Claim: In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than 3 million jobs. Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005.
contextual information: EDITORS NOTE: Our original Half True rating was based on an interpretation that Obama was crediting his policies for the jobs increase. But we've concluded that he was not making that linkage as strongly as we initially believed and have decided to change the ruling to Mostly True. The original article is archivedhere. We also wrote an explanation of our reporting and why we changed the ratinghere. During his State of the Union address on Jan. 24, 2012, President Barack Obama offered some evidence about the nations improving economy. He began by urging listeners to remember how we got here. Long before the recession, jobs and manufacturing began leaving our shores. Technology made businesses more efficient, but also made some jobs obsolete. Folks at the top saw their incomes rise like never before, but most hardworking Americans struggled with costs that were growing, paychecks that werent, and personal debt that kept piling up. In 2008, the house of cards collapsed, he continued. We learned that mortgages had been sold to people who couldnt afford or understand them. Banks had made huge bets and bonuses with other peoples money. Regulators had looked the other way, or didnt have the authority to stop the bad behavior. It was wrong. It was irresponsible. And it plunged our economy into a crisis that put millions out of work, saddled us with more debt and left innocent, hard-working Americans holding the bag. In the six months before I took office, we lost nearly four million jobs. And we lost another four million before our policies were in full effect. Those are the facts. But so are these. In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than three million jobs. Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005. American manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time since the late 1990s. Together, weve agreed to cut the deficit by more than $2 trillion. And weve put in place new rules to hold Wall Street accountable, so a crisis like that never happens again. The state of our union is getting stronger. And weve come too far to turn back now. As long as Im president, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum. We decided to look specifically at Obamas claim that in the last 22 months, businesses have created more than three million jobs. Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005. We checked Obamas claim by using data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the federal agency responsible for compiling employment data. We found that the U.S. economy has seen 22 consecutive months of private-sector job growth, beginning in Feb. 2010. During that 22-month period, the number of jobs grew by almost 3.16 million, or about 143,000 per month. We should note that there has also been a job-growth streak for all jobs in the economy -- not just in the private sector -- but this run of positive jobs numbers has been shorter since job losses in the government sector have offset gains in the private sector for much of that time. If you include both private-sector and government jobs, the economy has seen increases in total jobs for 15 straight months, not 22. But since this isnt what Obama said, we wont consider this in our ruling. As for whether 2011 was the best job-producing year since 2005, hes right if youre counting private-sector jobs, and slightly off if youre counting all jobs. In 2011, the number of private-sector jobs rose by about 1.83 million (if you count from the January amount to the December amount) or 1.92 million (if you count from December to December). Either way, the increase in 2011 represented the highest one-year total since 2005, when the number of private-sector jobs increased by either 2.22 million or 2.31 million, depending on the time period used. If you use total jobs, the increase in 2011 was the biggest since 2006, not 2005. But here too, thats not the measure Obama used, so we wont consider it in our rating. Finally, there's another dimension. In his remarks, Obama described the damage to the economy, including losing millions of jobs before our policies were in full effect. Then he describes the subsequent job increases. This suggests that hes taking a degree of credit for the job growth, which runs counter to the reality that no mayor or governor or president deserves all the blame or all the credit for changes in employment. Our ruling Obama is correct on the numbers. By mentioning his policies, he's making a modest linkage that they deserve credit for the improvement when economists say they are just one factor. On balance, we rate the claim Mostly True. | 1 | [
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FMD1695 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: We re going to have people who are bilingual teachers, and ultimately people who just want to do the right thing for the United States. So in other words, soon it won t matter if these illegal alien teachers are able to speak english as long as they want to do the right thing? Gov. Brian Sandoval signed a bill Wednesday that would make it easier for immigrants with temporary legal status to get a Nevada teaching license, saying it would help meet the needs of a new Nevada. Among the people who flanked the Republican governor as he signed AB27 was Uriel Garcia, a 22-year-old Nevada State College student and recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program who was previously denied a license. He said he plans to re-apply as soon as possible to get started on his student teaching and move toward his goal of teaching 2nd grade English language learners. I want to give back to the community that gave me so much, Garcia said.The old law allowed the state superintendent to give a teaching license to someone who is not a citizen but has a work permit only if there s a teacher shortage for a subject the person can teach. The new law, which passed the Senate and Assembly unanimously, allows those immigrants to get a teaching license if a district has a teacher shortage of any kind.The measure affects immigrants in the deferred action program, also known as DACA recipients or DREAMers. State Superintendent Dale Erquiaga said it s not clear how many new teachers the change will yield, but said his office will track that number going forward.Proponents framed the bill as a way to deal with a major teacher shortage, as well as a way to diversify the teaching force in a state with a high population of English language learners. We re going to have people who are bilingual teachers, and ultimately people who just want to do the right thing for the United States, Garcia said.Sylvia Lazos, vice chair of the Latino Leadership Council, said the bill better reflects a changing Nevada. These laws that prohibit non-citizens from getting licensed come from another era, another time, when many states were hostile to Germans, Catholics, Irish, Lazos said. Modern Nevada is not protectionist, not anti-immigrant, not anti-foreigner. It s a wonderful day for Nevada to affirm that. Via: Chron | 0 | [
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FMD1696 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: WATCH: Mass Shooting Occurs During #TrumpRiot; Media Ignores (Video) WATCH: Mass Shooting Occurs During #TrumpRiot; Media Ignores (Video) 45 pm by Guest Author Renee Nal | New Zeal Seattle’s Socialist Alternative organize anti-Trump rally. Note the manufactured signs and the hammer & sickle logo.
“The five victims range in age from their 20s to 50s, and they have gunshot wounds to their legs, chest and neck.”– The Seattle Times , November 10, 2016
Seattle police are assuring citizens that a virtually unreported mass shooting has nothing to do with an anti-Trump rally incited by Seattle socialists, featuring Kshama Sawant, the Marxist Seattle city council member who is significant as being the only socialist to run openly as a member of Socialist Alternative , a Trotskyist organization.
The shooting occurred “outside the 7-Eleven store on Third Avenue between Pike and Pine streets,” close to where protesters gathered, carrying their “Socialist Alternative” signs after being encouraged by Kshama Sawant to “attend the inauguration and shut it down.”
Watch: Gulag-wide Bulletins from Sovereignty Unbound We respect your privacy, time, and inbox. Track us Down @GulagBound Like the Gulag There are many important matters that Gulag Bound itself is not treating on a daily basis. For that reason we suggest The Globe & Malevolence and the sites shown under "Key Links in our Chains," below. Your Daily Intelligence Brief MattSkosh on Secret Service Agents Pay a Visit to Anti-Obama Artist Sabo Tags activism Agenda 21 anti-American revolution authoritarianism Barack Hussein Obama II candidate eligibility collectivists & propaganda communisty organizations corruption crisis strategy Democrat finance & banking fraud George Soros globalism - NWO global Marxist-fascist movement government domination of resources history illegal immigration Islam Islamism jihad jihadism Israel kleptocracy labor unions Marxism Marxofascism Marxstream media Military Mitt Romney Obamacare health control Occupy Wall Street race-baiting/racism Republican Right of Private Property Russia Sovereignty Tea Party terrorism U.S. Congress U.S. Constitution U.S. Presidency (POTUS) United Nations (UN) video violence voting youth & education Sabotage What good will it do, to protect the United States of America, or our presumed interests against the aggressiveness of China, Russia, or Islam, if, partially in fear of these threats, we lose our free and independent nation to the stealth imperialism of transnational and global governance? As America threatens to shatter, we must see how a semi-covert, global, cartel collective and their NWO in the USA ("progressive" neo-Marxists and neo-fascists corporatists, updated with 21st Century techniques and technology) intentionally perpetrate this sabotage, while we patriots try to prevent it. Have a look around our camp, as we struggle to survive. - your tour guide Archives Militarization in America About DHS militarization, see the new, breakthrough analysis from James Simpson, " Police Militarization, Abuses of Power, and the Road to Impeachment " and our earlier, "Marxist President’s Military Exercises in These U.S. Cities; Yours One?"
About the trajectory of this, we must pray, communicate, keep calm, and do not become the first to engage. If it comes to it, do not even respond in kind, until after the after the first times that extreme, anti-American violence is done by them. It calls for an attitude of self sacrifice -- first cheek, second cheek, then no more.
And speak out about the potential and strategic "sense" of the Obama/NWO's DHS carrying out false flag missions of violence, blaming it on American patriots, perhaps upon our militia movements.
We are in a real war, right now (of which others and I have been trying to alert fellow Sovereign Citizens for years) and the prime war is for the minds, hearts, and wills of the American People. We are opposed by an anti-American insurrection using any means of power (see Gramsci, Frankfurt School) including government power, as they are granted that opportunity. | 0 | [
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FMD1697 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Lets hope the Republicans can push back on this effort by Democrats to bail out the horribly mismanaged government in Puerto Rico. There s also been talk of making Puerto Rico the 51st state giving it the opportunity to declare bankruptcy under federal code. Read between the lines below and you ll know why the Dems want to give statehood to Puerto Rico: According to a report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), if Puerto Rico were to become a state, based on a population of approximately 3.8 million, it would be entitled to at least six seats in the House of Representatives. As a state, they would, of course, receive two Senators. The island state would have the same number of electors as the state of Oregon. Puerto Rico would also qualify for bankruptcy under the federal code, a critical issue during the difficult economic situation which Puerto Rico finds itself in.The Obama administration in particular the U.S. Treasury has been under pressure for months from Democrats and Puerto Rican politicians to find a solution to the commonwealth s fiscal crisis.Puerto Rico s $72 billion of debt is the product of decades of mismanagement, profligate borrowing, a broken taxation system and recurring deficits: Puerto Rico Bankrupt! from Kereakos Zuras on Vimeo.Its political leaders and various public institutions have hidden information from the capital markets and kicked the can down the road for as long as possible without undertaking real fiscal reforms. This is why an easy solution to the island s current situation does not exist outside the realm of a time machine.This, however, has not stopped the administration and Treasury from throwing a final Hail Mary.With the release of a somewhat vague plan that was outlined by Treasury Council Antonio Weiss and lobbied for by various Puerto Rican politicians at a Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee, President Obama pressed Congress to give the entire Commonwealth of Puerto Rico the ability to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy.The new proposal is being widely referred to as Super Chapter 9, in part because Chapter 9 currently can only be applied to municipalities and cities in the United States. The legislation would also go even further than the Puerto Rico bankruptcy bill currently before Congress.This deal will be a tough sell to a Republican Congress. Many conservative members have already balked at the idea of bailing out Puerto Rico with the more limited bankruptcy bill, and with good reason.Any bankruptcy bill for Puerto Rico would punish retirees whose pension funds invested in these bonds because they were tax-free, had strong security and were explicitly protected from Chapter 9. Conversely, it would reward Puerto Rico and its politicians for years of irresponsible spending and poor fiscal policy.Equally significant is the implication of this new type of Chapter 9 for American investors in the near-future. Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut are among the states with large unfunded liabilities facing fiscal crises and the list is growing at an alarming speed. If Super Chapter 9 is granted for Puerto Rico, why wouldn t these states expect it?The negative consequences of all of this could be catastrophic for infrastructure investment in the United States. The roughly $3.5 trillion municipal debt market that funds the paving of highways, schools, hospitals, and police and fire stations has rested for decades on a set of rules and laws that made these bonds safe investments. The status of this designation has begun to crack since Detroit filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy back in 2013.If suddenly it was put on the table that not only cities, but whole states, could write down their debts, with bondholders having no recourse, the effect would be to fundamentally undermine the municipal debt market. It would be akin to dropping a great white shark into a pool party except, instead of swimmers, it would be retirees and other muni investors chaotically scrambling to safety and fleeing these investments, or else charging huge premiums to states to borrow money.The cost of those increased rates, of course, would be borne by the taxpayers in the form of an additional and unnecessary charge for keeping the infrastructure of their states viable.It should be inconceivable that a member of Congress from a state that has been reasonably responsible in managing its fiscal house would vote for this super chapter 9 approach. They would be essentially voting to raise taxes on their constituents to subsidize less responsible states, since the cost of borrowing for all states will go up dramatically if a few states threaten to take this new path. It is difficult to see how anyone could justify that back home.Read more: The Hill | 0 | [
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FMD1698 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: In 2015, former professional boxer Anthony Small, was been cleared of plotting to leave Britain to join Islamic State militants in Syria.Apparently it s okay to threaten the lives of British citizens as long as you re not waving an ISIS flag while you do it.Vice Small s flourishing boxing career came to an end when he converted to Islam at the age of 24. Now known as Abdul-Haqq, he decided the sport s lifestyle was incompatible with his hardline practice of the religion and took up preaching instead.An associate of the infamous Islamic preacher Anjem Choudary and his banned organization Al-Muhajiroun, Haqq used social media to share his fundamentalist views of Islam. He regularly posted controversial videos filmed in his home, justifying IS beheadings and terror attacks such as the public killing of UK soldier Lee Rigby in 2013.Here is Anthony Small s most recent video where he targets Britain First co-founder Paul Golding former EDL leader Tommy Robinson along with conservative radio host Katie Hopkins. Keep in mind that Youtube is cracking down on conservatives for hate speech while this Muslim man is using Youtube to threaten the lives of 3 popular British activist. Censorship for conservatives is apparently more dangerous than death threats from professional boxers turned Muslim extremists:Haqq s views have led to multiple police raids on his house, as well as accusations of trying to join IS in the Middle East. VICE News spoke to Haqq on the run up to his arrest about police raids, Western foreign policy, and his faith. We then caught up with him again outside London s Old Bailey court after his release.Here s who Anthony Small Boxer really is. This video is a great reminder of why Trump was correct about our need to do a better job of vetting our refugees:Go here to see Paul Golding of Britain First s reply to former professional boxer turned Allah s Soldier Tommy. | 0 | [
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FMD1699 | Task: Please determine whether the text is 0. Fake or 1. True. Answer directly without explanations. Text: Originally appeared at Nsnbc International
Academy member Boris Chetverushkin, on Friday, stated that former U.S. Secretary of State and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Henry Kissinger has been elected to the Russian Academy of Sciences along with another six Nobel Prize laureates.
The other Nobel Prize winners elected to the Russian Academy of Sciences include Serge Haroche and Martinus Veltman (physics); Roger D. Kornberg, Jean-Pierre Sauvage and Dan Shechtman (chemistry); Kenneth J. Arrow (economy). Kissinger was also elected to the Academy for his “global studies”.
The now 93-year-old Dr. Henry Kissinger, 93, is one of the authors of the policy of ‘d·tente” in the US-Soviet relations. In 1993 he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in negotiating and reaching the Paris Accord aimed at ending the war against / in Vietnam. Kissinger also has many US State awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian decoration, awarded to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.
In latter years after withdrawing from “official” politics, Kissinger promoted the image that he now was focusing on “writing memoirs”, articles, books on foreign policy and diplomacy, including his works “Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy”; “The White House Years” and “Does America Need a Foreign Policy?”
During the onset of the crisis in Ukraine Kissinger also wrote a lengthy article suggesting the “Finlandization” of the Ukraine, but without mentioning a word about the systematic engineering of the “crisis” by U.S. power-brokers. Kissinger may or may not have stopped being a “swinger”, but as he once said, “power is the ultimate aphrodisiac”. He may have withdrawn from “official” politics but he never removed himself far from “power”.
When the administration of George W. Bush had to cave in to pressure to launch an investigation into the events on September 11, 2001, it suggested that Dr. Henry Kissinger lead the 9/11 Commission. Kissinger had to withdraw when some of the bereaved “Jersey Girls” asked Kissinger if his company, by any chance, had members of the Bin Laden family among its clients. An actual “criminal” investigation into 9/11 took never place and leading members of the 9/11 Commission have since written that it was “set up to fail” from the start.
Ironically, Kissinger has also been one of the main architects of the U.S. policy that led to the bloody coup in Chile, on September 11, 1973. A coup that inspired many then young people (like this author) in Latin America and in the West to organize a militant resistance. The overthrow of Salvador Allende was followed by sixteen years of terror.
Kissinger also played key roles in Argentina’s “dirty war”, marked by mass“disappearances” with bodies of “dissidents” dumped into the ocean from helicopters, dumped into mass graves, and many of those who lived to tell the tale were marked by the trauma of physical and psychological torture for the remainder of their lives.
The U.S. “policy”, in Latin America, of which Kissinger was a main architect, would also spill over into, and spill blood in Colombia, Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
Dr. Kissinger’s “rap sheet” is far too long to publish in one news article, but one may want to read the book of the late journalist Christopher Hitchens wrote about Kissinger in his book entitled “The Trial of Henry Kissinger”.
Hitchens diligently documented Kissinger’s involvement in a number of alleged war crimes in Indochina (Vietnam – Laos – Cambodia), Bangladesh, Chile, Cyprus and East Timor. Hitchens made a compelling case for the need to prosecute Dr. Henry Kissinger.
The Russian Academy of Sciences, for its part, has arguably made two brilliant points by electing Kissinger. It has provided additional evidence for the fact that Academies of Science, worldwide, are instruments of politicized science comparable to a Caliphate being a marriage of State and religion. It has also proven that utilitarianism at the Russian Academy of Sciences outweighs scientific, moral and ethical imperatives. | 0 | [
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