(A) ** more
(B) less
EXPLANATIONS BELOW
Concept note-1: -By early May, the Spanish-American War had begun. The rise of yellow journalism helped to create a climate conducive to the outbreak of international conflict and the expansion of U.S. influence overseas, but it did not by itself cause the war.
Concept note-2: -Yellow journalism did not, ultimately, start the war on its own; it was the sinking of the USS Maine that provided the trigger, not some fabricated story created by Hearst of Pulitzer.