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Federal judge dismisses Justice Department lawsuit seeking detailed Maryland voter data
The Trump administration's attempts to obtain state-level voter data have suffered yet another legal blow.
Biden judge overruled on key Trump immigration policy
Federal appeals court revives Trump administration's nationwide expedited removal policy, allowing fast-track deportations of eligible illegal immigrants.
Arrests of immigrant parents create mental health crisis for children
An estimated hundreds of thousands of kids, most of them U.S. citizens, have been separated from a parent by the Trump administration’s deportation policies.
California intends to sue Trump administration over offshore wind project
State officials said they are combating the administration's attacks on their offshore wind industry
Trump administration charges 455 people, including doctors, with $6.5 billion in healthcare fraud
In the Trump administration’s latest effort to crack down on fraud, the Justice Department on Tuesday unveiled charges against 455 people for their alleged participation in healthcare fraud and opioid abuse schemes.
DOJ unveils charges for $6.5 billion in health fraud schemes
The Department of Justice (DOJ) unveiled on Tuesday charges against more than 450 defendants for alleged health care fraud totaling over $6.5 billion in false claims, as part of the Trump administr…
Can the Sugar Molecules That Coat Our Cells Predict Our Health?
Can the Sugar Molecules That Coat Our Cells Predict Our Health?: Glycans, once ignored, may revolutionize medicine
Trump keeps claiming Iran made concessions. Iran keeps denying them
Ever since releasing a memorandum of understanding last week that appeared heavily slanted toward Iran, the Trump administration has kept claiming Tehran agreed to other major concessions in ongoing negotiations.
Obama-appointed judge torpedoes Trump’s bid to fight obesity as White House warns it won’t be ‘final say’
Obama-appointed judge strikes down Trump administration's SNAP soda ban, ruling USDA cannot redefine what Congress has already defined as food.
Trump effort to expand speedy deportations of migrants can proceed, appeals court rules
A federal appeals court handed President Donald Trump a significant win in his mass deportation efforts with a ruling Tuesday reviving his administration’s move to speed up deportations of undocumented immigrants in the United States.
Trump administration front-loaded science cuts, tracking tool reveals
The Union of Concerned Scientists' new tool documents administration rollbacks in rulemaking, personnel and funding.
How a new White House proposal could fundamentally change American science
Join us for a discussion on the potential impacts of a Trump admin plan to overhaul how federal research grants are awarded and administered.
Texas doctor charged in $89M fraud case as administration pushes health care crackdown
The Justice Department has charged a Texas doctor in an $89 million health care fraud scheme, accusing him of billing insurers for medically unnecessary cardiovascular screening tests.
Federal judge blocks state bans on buying soda and candy with food stamps
A federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration from allowing five states to ban the purchase of sugary drinks and candy with food stamps.
Supreme Court sides with Trump administration in green card case
The decision comes as the court considers a series of immigration issues against the backdrop of President Donald Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown
Former NOAA Employees Revive Climate Web Site
The database of federal global warming research recreates a website that was closed amid the administration’s broad retreat from climate science.
Polymarket allegedly faked trades. Chances are slim Trump admin investigates, says sports-betting attorney
A recent Wall Street Journal investigation found that the prediction market hired influencers to stage fake trades as part of its marketing campaign to attract U.S. users.
Texas doctor charged in $89M fraud case as administration pushes healthcare crackdown
The Justice Department says it has charged a Texas doctor in an $89 million healthcare fraud scheme, accusing him of billing insurers for medically unnecessary cardiovascular screening tests for college student-athletes and then rubber-stamping the res...
Intel's Arc G3 Extreme changes the handheld game - MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Review
Notebookcheck review of the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ with Intel Arc G3 Extreme SoC, Arc B390 graphics and 32 GB RAM.
Pentagon seeks $80 billion from Congress for Iran war
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he's expecting a supplemental spending request from the administration
Maine state workers ready to settle contract dispute
In a statement, the Mills administration said four other state employee unions have already agreed to a 2% increase in January of this year, followed by another 2% raise next month.
Backed by threat of clawbacks, feds wield tight grip on $50B rural health fund
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz praised states’ plans when announcing the rural health program awards last year and said his agency would help states “turn their ideas into lasting improvements for rural families.” But state officials and healthcare leaders said it’s also clear the agency wants to encourage specific policy changes and hold states accountable to the promises they made and rules they agreed to follow.
Federal Citizenship Data Tool Cannot Be Used to Screen Voters, Judge Rules
A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration’s providing federal data to states to check and purge their voter rolls violated several laws prohibiting the disclosure.
Health officials launch clinical trial reforms to counter China threat
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday launched a new initiative to speed up early-stage clinical trials as part of an effort to reduce development timelines and reverse a growing trend o…
Judge says Trump can’t use Social Security data for voter roll purges
The Trump administration violated federal privacy protections when it overhauled a citizen data program so that it could be used more aggressively to purge voter rolls, a federal judge said Monday.
Lancaster General Health sells downtown Lititz office building for $8.1M
The new owners of a historic mill that most recently served as Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health’s administrative offices will look to revitalize the building as a mix of retail,
Judge says Trump DOJ subpoenas of Tim Walz and other Democrats are unconstitutional
A federal judge on Monday blocked the Justice Department from forcing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other officials to turn over records in its probe of Democratic resistance to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, calling the move retaliatory.
Federal judge halts Trump administration effort to subpoena Walz in immigration enforcement probe
A federal judge has blocked an attempt by the Trump administration to subpoena Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other state officials, calling it an effort to “harass and retaliate against them.”
The Trump administration is threatening to cut DHS funding unless states change their election laws. Here are their demands
National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association et al. v. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. et al.
The National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA) and its member, the Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania (FHCCP), sued the Trump administration to protect the integrity of the Title X family planning program. Title X is the country’s only dedicated federal program for family planning services. For more than 55 years, the program has provided access to effective contraceptive methods, cancer screenings, testing and treatment for STIs, and other preventive services, with priority given to patients with low incomes.
The scale of Trump’s political blunder in Iran is coming into focus
The first major poll conducted since the Trump administration signed a memorandum of understanding shows Americans just want to be done with the Iran war.
Trump delays billions in HHS grants with political review
The Trump administration is holding up billions in grant funding because of a new political review process that goes up through Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the White House.
Old Dominion University Women’s Business Center Helps Suffolk Company Earn National SBA Award
When Rachael and Joseph Culbertson started Culbertson Contracting in 2021, the couple knew they had the work ethic to succeed; they just needed the right roadmap. Now, thanks to a transformative partnership with Old Dominion University through its Women’s Business Center, the Suffolk-based company has been named Virginia’s Blue-Collar Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Exclusive: Trump administration uses homeland security funds to force states into election changes
The Trump administration is threatening to withhold tens of millions of dollars in federal homeland security funds from states unless they adopt a sweeping set of election changes, according to multiple sources and internal documents obtained by CNN.
Keep up congressional pushback against Trump’s anti-science agenda
Congress appears to have successfully forced the Trump administration to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative. It must keep fighting for science.
Prosper AI lands $30M backed by Andreessen Horowitz to build AI workforce for healthcare operations
Nine months after announcing its seed funding round, Prosper AI banked $30 million to scale its agentic AI platform to power administrative tasks from patient scheduling to insurance verification a | Prosper AI banked $30 million to scale its agentic AI platform to power administrative tasks from patient scheduling to insurance verification and patient billing.
“Criminal Approach to Politics”: Trump Ally Abelardo de la Espriella Wins Colombian Presidency
Right-wing Trump ally Abelardo de la Espriella has clinched a narrow victory in Sunday’s runoff presidential election in Colombia, defeating leftist Senator Iván Cepeda, an ally of current President Gustavo Petro. De la Espriella ran a fearmongering, “tough-on-crime” campaign, promising to build mega-prisons inspired by El Salvador’s authoritarian President Nayib Bukele, to bomb “narcoterrorist camps” and to abandon Petro’s peace efforts. His reported victory is also a win for U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration is waging an intensifying “war on drugs” across Latin America, targeting left-wing leaders like Petro with false allegations and threats of military intervention. “De la Espriella clearly represents a criminal approach to politics: lying, propaganda, coordination and collusion with criminal narcotrafficking, restriction of rights, and money laundering,” says longtime Colombian activist Manuel Rozental. With his victory, says Rozental, “We expect to have military operations and a U.S. intervention within the country. We expect to have human rights abuses. We expect to have militarization. And it’s all for the extraction of resources and the link of drug trafficking to the U.S. government, U.S. interests and global mafia.”
Work Visa Issues Leave Door County Businesses Short Staffed for Summer
Decline in international summer workers under Trump administration taking a toll.
Five people reportedly arrested after Trump claims Washington reflecting pool was ‘vandalized’
CBS News report says administration official told her arrests were made for vandalizing pool and another five federal citations issued
Science Over Tradition: Plymouth South Middle Schoolers Advocate for Later School Start Times
PLYMOUTH - June 15, 2026 - In a powerful demonstration of student advocacy, a delegation of eighth-grade students from Plymouth South Middle School presented compelling, science-based research to the School Committee, urging district leadership to push back school start times to improve adolescent mental health, well-being, and academic performance. The presentation sparked immediate commitment from the administration to formally evaluate the district’s schedule over the coming school year. Subscribe The Full Story The final in-person meeting of the academic year opened with a celebratory outdoor ceremony honoring dozens of elementary, middle, and high school student artists whose work was chosen for the biannual Central Office Artwork Awards. However, the evening’s primary policy focus quickly shifted to student-led civic action when eighth graders Sophia Scarini, Skye Togun, Leah Mansfield, James Moore, Avery Mahan and Lily Simpson took the podium. The students revealed that their presentation was the culmination of a year-long civics project involving local community assessments, interviews with former officials, and extensive literary analysis. The research sharply highlighted the biological mismatch between adolescent sleep patterns and current school schedules. Under the district’s current framework, Plymouth High Schools open at 7:20 a.m., Middle Schools at 8:12 a.m., and Elementary Schools at 9:05 a.m.. “The high school start times directly contradict students’ natural sleep patterns,” student Leah Mansfield explained, noting that the teenage brain does not naturally produce melatonin until around 11:00 p.m.. The student presentation underscored a harrowing correlation between sleep deprivation and severe mental health struggles, citing data that adolescents with insomnia are ten times more likely to develop depression. Conversely, data shows that just one additional hour of sleep results in a 28% reduction in students reporting feelings of depression or sadness.
Apple's first Ultras are coming: 20 new products in 2026–2027 according to Bloomberg
Apple's new CEO John Ternus will begin his tenure in September with a wave of new products that will bring Apple fans many exciting new releases. Well-known Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman has listed the most important new products coming our way after the summer break, including the first ones potentially bearing the “Ultra” moniker.
RedMagic reveals new Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 5 rival with OLED display
The RedMagic Gaming Tablet 5 Pro has been revealed, and it's the company's answer to the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 5. This Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 pad with OLED display is set to launch in China on June 30, 2026.
Iran MOU signals ‘major shift’ from military to economic, political objectives for Trump: Retired general
Ret. Gen. Jack Keane on Sunday said the US-Iran memorandum of understanding signals a “major shift” in the Trump administration’s approach to foreign policy ideals in the Middle East. “It’s a…
California is getting ready to increase a health insurance tax. Will it affect your premium?
A family of four could pay $400 more a year in premiums — but the tax still needs federal approval from the Trump administration to take effect.
In post-DEI era, Trump admin turns to San Antonio for more veteran-owned businesses
As governments scrap their race- and gender-conscious preferences, there's suddenly more demand for veteran contractors than supply.
Trump administration still trying to cancel school-based mental health programs
Officials say the second attempt to revoke funds could threaten key support for already-overwhelmed families.
High-Speed Rail CEO Ian Choudri on transparency, project's path moving forward
California High-Speed Rail CEO Ian Choudri is answering questions for the first time since he was put on administrative leave.
Week in politics: continued negotiations with Iran; G7 summit; Reflecting Pool issues
There continues to be uncertainty over negotiations. At the same time, the Trump administration continues to aggravate allies.
U.S. Small Business Administration ‘actively working’ to create veterans resource center in Idaho
At the request of U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, the federal Small Business Administration is looking at establishing a new, Idaho-based office dedicated to supporting veterans, military members and their spouses.
Democratic states scramble to prevent potential Trump administration interference in their elections
Democratic-led states are racing to safeguard November’s midterm elections against potential interference from the Trump administration and its allies, passing new laws that restrict the presence of law enforcement at polling places or seek to thwart the federal government’s efforts to obtain sensitive election material.
Disability Groups Fear RFK Jr.’s New Special Education Role
Alienated by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claims about autism, advocates for disabled students are sounding the alarm about the Trump administration's shifting special education programs to his department.
Trump claims Reflecting Pool was vandalized and says law enforcement is investigating
President Donald Trump on Friday claimed the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was intentionally vandalized and said law enforcement is actively investigating, as the administration has scrambled to fix the pool’s recent deterioration just days after Trump’s nearly $15 million renovation.
Unusual creatures are more appealing: What guppies teach us about evolution
Spanish biologist Ignacio Paulin became fascinated by the behavior of these fish, in a project that could now disappear due to budget cuts by the Trump administration
National Science Foundation reverses decision to dismantle critical ocean monitoring network
The Trump administration is reversing its decision to dismantle a critical ocean monitoring system after receiving bipartisan backlash in Congress.
U.S. Small Business Administration ‘actively working’ to create veterans resource center in Idaho
BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) — At the request of U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, the federal Small Business Administration is looking at establishing a new, Idaho-based office dedicated to supporting veterans, military members and their spouses. Risch, an Idaho Republican, wrote to the head of the Small Business Administration, Kelly Loeffler, on June 9, asking to […]
Trump unveils the new Air Force One, a converted Qatari jet
The Trump administration accepted the luxury jet from Qatar despite questions about the ethics and legality
Trump unveils the new Air Force One, a converted Qatari jet
The Trump administration accepted the luxury jet from Qatar despite questions about the ethics and legality
DOJ rebuffs judge’s request for Blanche to declare in court that anti-weaponization fund is dead
The Justice Department is rebuffing a judge’s request that it supply a court declaration from senior administration officials that would confirm that the so-called anti-weaponization fund is not moving forward.
Apple reveals why watchOS 27 will be limited to Apple Watch Ultra 2 and newer models
While watchOS 26 could still be installed on the Apple Watch Series 6, watchOS 27 doesn't even run on the Apple Watch Ultra. Apple explains the reasons behind this decision, and, unsurprisingly, AI is responsible for the shorter software support period.
Microsoft confirms Windows 11 26H2, urges IT admins to prepare for release
Microsoft officially confirms Windows 11 26H2, revealing a fast enablement-package rollout model and urging IT admins to prepare now.
‘He has to find a way to be friends’: The political fight behind Anthropic’s export controls
In an administration that rewards political deference, Anthropic’s CEO has repeatedly clashed with the White House.
Vance Pushes Back on Claims Trump Admin. Tone ‘Not Consistently Christian’
U.S. Small Business Administration 'actively working’ to create veterans resource center in Idaho
The Small Business Administration may establish an Idaho-based office dedicated to supporting veterans, military members and their spouses.
As union leader, Democrat-backed Senate candidate Dan Osborn helped alert ICE to claims of undocumented workers
Dan Osborn, the Democratic Party–backed independent running for Senate in Nebraska, has spent part of his campaign courting voters critical of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement.
Private equity has no place in health care
By Miah Ntepp Of all the financial pressures placed on working people in this country, the skyrocketing costs of health care rank near the top. As families struggle under the cuts to Medicaid made by the Trump administration, they are now facing yet another barrier to affordable health care: the increasing incidence of predatory private […]
‘If it doesn’t work out, I’m blaming JD’: Vance’s risky gambit on Iran peace efforts
As the Trump administration neared a breakthrough in its negotiations with Iran, Vice President JD Vance jumped at the chance to be the face of a peace agreement designed to end months of unpopular war.
Asus releases new gaming laptop globally with 1,600 nit Mini LED display and 175 W GPU
Asus has finally released an ultra-premium gaming laptop globally. With up to 320 W of power under full load, the ROG Strix Scar 18 2026 also contains a 4K and 240 Hz Mini LED display that spans 18-inches with 1,600 nits peak brightness at its disposal.
Puerto Rico roiled by widening political crisis as top official comes under fire
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The administration of Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González is mired in a new political crisis, with allegations of public corruption, government interference and conflicts of interest.
Andrews University Students and Faculty Win Awards at Business Conference
Graduate students and faculty in the Andrews University School of Business Administration (SBA) won five awards and presented 17 papers at the Midwest Business Administration Association (MBAA) International Conference, on March 25-26, 2026. Held annually in Chicago, the MBAA International Conference is a multidisciplinary academic gathering, bringing together more than 6,000 academics and professionals, with […]
National Science Foundation reverses decision to dismantle oceans-monitoring network after outcry
The Trump administration has reversed a plan to dismantle a sprawling ocean monitoring network after vigorous objections from Democratic lawmakers and scientists.
National Science Foundation halts plans to dismantle oceans observatory project
The Trump administration has reversed a plan to dismantle a sprawling ocean monitoring network after vigorous objections from Democratic lawmakers and scientists.
Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority funds terminal
Commissioners approved an additional $2.6 million for design of a new baggage system and administration building.
HRSA grants supporting maternal and child health available
The Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal and Child Health Bureau has announced grant opportunities available supporting maternal and child health initiatives.
Challenger concedes to democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George in Washington, D.C., mayoral primary
NBC News has not yet projected a primary winner. But Kenyan McDuffie’s concession sets up Lewis George to lead the city for the last two years of the Trump administration.
Trump Iran framework gambles on diplomacy despite warning Tehran will 'lie and cheat'
Trump administration's Iran framework offers immediate oil sanctions waivers while postponing key nuclear questions, a gamble officials say carries risks.
Hegseth announces review of US forces in Europe and again criticizes NATO allies
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth doubled down on the Trump administration’s combative posture towards NATO on Thursday, announcing a six-month review of US forces in Europe and lambasting Washington’s allies for limiting their involvement in the war in Iran.
Cape Cod businesses see seasonal worker visa delays
Increased scrutiny by the Trump administration, understaffing at embassies, and an influx of World Cup travelers have thrown a wrench into the program that helps power the Cape summer economy.
Exclusive: Trump administration ramps up effort to revoke citizenship from naturalized Americans
The Trump administration plans to file at least 250 denaturalization cases by October, significantly intensifying its effort to revoke citizenship from people naturalized in the United States, according to a senior Justice Department official.
The 7 biggest deregulation actions Trump has taken
His administration has ordered each new regulatory change to be accompanied by 10 deregulatory changes
Federal Trade Commission sues leading transgender health group
The Federal Trade Commission and four states sued the World Professional Association for Transgender Health on Wednesday, in the latest push by President Donald Trump’s administration and others to limit transgender care for minors.
iPhone Ultra final design shared by Apple’s nemesis
Despite the ongoing legal battle, leaker Jon Prosser has been active in sharing leaks and renders for upcoming iPhone models. His latest could very well be the final version of the iPhone Ultra.
On Iran, Trump is committing the cardinal sin from the ‘Art of the Deal’
Toward the end of the Obama administration’s negotiations over its Iran nuclear deal in 2015, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump chimed in with some advice from his book, “The Art of the Deal.”
D.C. voters face a new political era without Eleanor Holmes Norton, after her 18 terms in Congress
Norton chose not to run for reelection after mounting concerns that, at 89 years old, she was no longer capable of forcefully combating a Republican-led Congress and presidential administration constantly overriding the heavily Democratic city's leadership.
The return of the spoils system could reshape U.S. federal science
The Trump administration has reclassified 8,000 senior-level career officials across 54 agencies to Schedule Policy/Career status.
In private speech, Blanche tried to mend fences with critical conservative activist
At President Donald Trump’s Miami hotel, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche recently tried to smooth things over with a conservative watchdog group whose anger at the Trump administration was building on multiple fronts.
The Unitary Executive Takes Over New Territory
The Trump administration's theory of how the federal government should work is a threat to American science.
Trump admin uses hydrogen peroxide, tiny bubbles against Reflecting Pool algae
Algae has plagued the site for more than 100 years, but Trump set his sights on addressing it as part of his aggressive push to beautify Washington
Trump administration will bring special ed to HHS
Infant mortality rate dips, OTC naloxone options rise, and other health news from Morning Rounds
RFK Jr. pans processed food during visit to Charlotte's Country Mill
Secretary of Health and Human Services visited mid-Michigan on Tuesday, June 16, to tout Trump administration policies that require more fresh foods to be offered through food subsidy programs.
Nursing home staffing rebounds from COVID levels
An aging population and Trump administration immigration policies could still stretch the industry.
An EPA Researcher Details the Agency's Assault on Science
In late January, the Trump administration began shutting down projects within the EPA’s independent science division that touched on climate change and environmental justice. Air quality researcher Thomas Luben, who had worked at the agency for 18 years, was fired for objecting.
Small Business Administration chief talks the state of small businesses in the U.S.
The Reindustrialize Summit convened leaders from manufacturing, technology, defense and finance in Detroit to discuss how to restore America’s industrial strength. Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler sat down with CNBC’s Leslie Picker for a conversation on boosting America’s manufacturing base, small business sentiment, and AI’s impact to Main Street.
US Sues New York Health Officials Over Alleged Fraud in Medicaid Homecare Program
By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK, June 16 (Reuters) - The Trump administration sued top New York health officials on Tuesday over an alleged scheme to rig the bidding process for managing the state's estimated $10 billion Medicaid homecare program, harming patients and caregivers as well as ...
Merchants of Doubt and the attacks on Extreme Event Attribution science
Last week, I attended a meeting at Columbia University on attribution science and climate law, hosted by the Sabin Center. It was a fantastic event, bringing together scientists and legal experts working at the intersection of extreme event attribution and climate law. Subscribe For those unfamiliar with it, extreme event attribution attempts to quantify the contribution of climate change to an extreme event. For example, several groups analyzed the impact of climate change on Hurricane Harvey’s enormous rainfall totals over Houston, Texas and they found that climate change increased rainfall by 15 to 38%. One thing that came up again and again was how terrified fossil-fuel interests are of extreme event attribution science. They are acutely aware that this research could land them in court. And losing those cases would leave them legally liable for billions of dollars in climate damages. Because the legal stakes are so high, the blowback has turned ugly. I spoke with several scientists at the meeting who are facing ongoing harassment over their work. This blowback is a coordinated campaign to make the entire field look suspect. The goal is to create the impression that attribution science is too uncertain, too political, or too conflicted to be useful in court or in public policy. The strategy is not based on actual science or evidence of misconduct, but on the generation of doubt. The new Merchants of Doubt We’ve seen this before. In fact, not that long ago: We only have to go back a year to the Department of Energy (DOE) Climate Working Group (CWG) report to see an example of using doubt as the tool to push back against well-established science. This strategy is laid out in an email from a member of the CWG, Dr. Roy Spencer, that was released during litigation over the Climate Working Group process. The key quote is: About all I can hope is that what we write will provide sufficient “reasonable scientific doubt” regarding the science claims in the 2009 TSD [technical support document], based upon almost 2 decades of new science, to call into question the original reasoning for the EPA Administrator’s decision that CO2 presents a threat to human health and welfare. This statement is strong evidence that at least some members of the committee were working to support a particular policy outcome: revoking the Endangerment Finding. The email also explains how they planned to do it: by attempting to generate “reasonable doubt”. This is going to be hard, Spencer implies. Despite falsely claiming that “2 decades of new science” weakens the case, Spencer explicitly acknowledges that the actual peer-reviewed science of climate change overwhelmingly rejects his position: But if the science argument is decided upon by a vote, or by the number of published citations, we lose the science argument. We can go back even further: This CWG email shares unmistakable DNA with the infamous 1969 tobacco memo that declared: “Doubt is our product, since it is the best means of competing with the ‘body of fact’ that exists in the mind of the general public. It is also the means of establishing a controversy.” The tobacco memo also acknowledges the limit of this strategy: Like the CWG, they knew the science was not on their side. Share The new new Merchants of Doubt The people attacking the IPCC chapter on extreme event attribution are the newest iteration of the Merchants of Doubt. Their goal, like all Merchants before them, is to introduce doubt into the process. Because the report is not even out yet, they cannot attack its conclusions. So they are attacking the authors instead. Here is a press release from the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee: In the letter, the Chairmen express concerns about potential conflicts of interest involving members of the Attribution Committee, stating that “publicly available information suggests a troubling pattern” in which committee members are affiliated with nonprofits that support climate accountability lawsuits, “raising the appearance of impropriety and member bias.” To be clear, this is just innuendo. There is no actual evidence of bias. And given the robust process that these reports go through, including multiple lines of peer review, it seems very unlikely that significant bias can survive into the report. When the report comes out, critics will have the opportunity to make legitimate criticisms of the report — if any exist. If none do, however, they’ll still make criticisms, but they’ll be bogus, simply designed to generate doubt. We’ll see. A note to the press: Fix your frame To any journalists reading this: The public debate over extreme event attribution science is not going away. The science is simply too dangerous to fossil-fuel interests for them to stop fighting it. You very well might be assigned to write an article about this area of research in the future. When you do, do not automatically adopt the framing that climate misinformers want you to use. They want you to frame the story around questions like: Are climate scientists trying to put their thumb on the scale to achieve a predetermined, politically motivated result? Are climate scientists improperly letting their politics invade the science of the IPCC? That frame is a trap. Instead, you need to view this through the historical lens of the Merchants of Doubt. How does the ecosystem of doubt operate? Who funds it? What methods do they use to misrepresent science and slime researchers? What scientific results are they trying to keep people from understanding are legitimate? Ultimately, you instead need to focus your article on the generation of doubt as a way to maintain the fossil fuel industry’s social and legal license to keep burning oil, gas, and coal. If you treat the misinformers’ frame as a legitimate, good-faith scientific critique, you are helping them produce doubt. Don’t do it. Don’t be a Merchant of Doubt. Thanks for reading The Climate Brink! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work. Subscribe other stuff The Staying Curious Substack has an interesting post about the different flavors of climate sensitivity. This is crucial information if you want to understand how scientists think about how much warming the Earth will experience. I’d be grateful if you could hit the like button ❤️ below! It helps more people discover these ideas and lets me know what’s connecting with readers.
The Courtroom Battle Over Baby Formula Isn’t About Science
A jury in a Cook County, Illinois, court awarded families $70 million in April after concluding that infant formula caused a devastating illness in premature babies. However, that conclusion hinged on a scientific theory that lacks validated evidence. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said its recent study of chemical contamination in infant formula produced by Abbott Laboratories … Continue reading "The Courtroom Battle Over Baby Formula Isn’t About Science"