Category: Anti-Science

NAS Removes Climate Chapter From Judges Manual After Trump Pressure

The National Academy of Sciences removed a climate science chapter from its Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence after pressure from President Donald Trump and Republican officials who falsely characterized the peer-reviewed work as “biased,” “fraudulent,” and “misleading.” The chapter, titled “Reference Guide on Climate Science,” had been included for the first time in the 2025 edition and covered the greenhouse effect, atmospheric cycling, attribution science, and peer-reviewed research to assist judges in reasoning through cases involving complex scientific topics.

Trump and dozens of state attorneys general attacked the chapter in early 2026, prompting the Federal Judicial Center to remove it in February. The NAS subsequently announced the chapter would remain offline pending an “independent review,” claiming questions about development processes warranted examination. This decision subordinates scientific evidence to political pressure, despite the chapter undergoing rigorous peer review from external scientists, judges, and National Academies staff according to the same standards applied to all manual sections.

Authors Jessica Wentz and Radley Horton, both from Columbia University, defended their work as science-based and properly vetted through extensive external review. Their chapter presented established climate science findings to serve the judiciary in complex litigation. The removal demonstrates how Trump’s federal attack on the National Academy of Sciences extends beyond investigation to direct suppression of scientific guidance that contradicts his interests and those of fossil fuel allies.

The action exemplifies Trump’s systematic assault on independent institutions and scientific authority. By weaponizing accusations of bias against peer-reviewed climate science, Trump manufactures pretexts for erasing inconvenient research from judicial reference materials, obstructing judges’ access to credible scientific evidence necessary for sound legal reasoning on environmental cases. The capitulation by the NAS and Federal Judicial Center signals institutional vulnerability to authoritarian pressure campaigns disguised as procedural reviews.



(Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/national-academy-of-sciences-pulls-climate-chapter-from-judges-manual/?fbclid=IwdGRjcATrIC1wZG9mBWZkaWQWUMZ6s8by4ageyWFLZJOlZd9RMlUyKmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR4pJlcKCUmPfRwgQAFhKYQrqASw-byqdNMuOvzpsPkat-GNTLopRJPOkPaenw_aem_0rxQnwFSMEE7-5KTB6PYUw)

Trump Orders Cuts to Childhood Vaccines Without Evidence

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday establishing the “Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations,” which would dramatically reduce federal childhood vaccination guidance by spreading immunizations across separate appointments, splitting the combined MMR vaccine into three individual shots, and reorganizing vaccines into different risk tiers. During the signing ceremony at the White House, Trump claimed the combined MMR vaccine “could” be “quite lethal,” but admitted moments later when pressed by reporters that he had no evidence supporting the assertion.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stood alongside Trump during the order signing, advancing the administration’s push to overturn decades of established federal vaccine recommendations. Trump had previously pressured Kennedy during a May lunch to escalate efforts investigating a debunked link between vaccines and autism, criticizing Kennedy for having “the yips” on the vaccine issue despite White House political advisers urging restraint on vaccine-related messaging.

The executive order reflects Trump’s broader effort to reshape federal health policy through vaccine reduction, following a January Department of Health and Human Services study initiated by Trump in December proposing vaccination against only 11 diseases rather than the current comprehensive schedule. The changes would eliminate or defer federal recommendations for vaccines against flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and certain meningitis strains, among others.

Kennedy’s role in overseeing this vaccine overhaul extends beyond childhood recommendations, as he has signaled intent to dismantle and reconstruct the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the federal committee responsible for recommending disease screening tests and determining insurance coverage for preventive care. The administration’s actions align with efforts to eliminate Pentagon mandatory flu vaccination requirements and pursue changes to longstanding public health protocols across federal agencies.

Trump’s unsubstantiated claim about MMR vaccine lethality contradicts the scientific consensus supporting vaccine safety and reflects the pattern of health misinformation advanced by Kennedy and endorsed by the administration without evidentiary support.



(Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/10/trump-administration-order-would-upend-nations-childhood-vaccine-schedule/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social)

RFK Jr. Attacks Bash Over Vaccine Claims

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attacked CNN’s Dana Bash during a 22-minute on-air confrontation Sunday, defending President Trump’s pandemic response while reasserting debunked claims about vaccines, measles, and RSV. Kennedy blamed Dr. Anthony Fauci for lockdowns despite Trump’s role in appointing and retaining him, and repeatedly clashed with Bash over vaccine efficacy, accusing her of spreading “nonsense” when she cited scientific evidence of COVID-19 vaccine protection.

Kennedy claimed the U.S. had the highest COVID death rate globally, a statement Bash fact-checked by noting Johns Hopkins data shows 13 countries exceeded America’s rate, attributing deaths to chronic illness gaps and vaccine misinformation rather than lockdowns alone. When pressed on pandemic preparedness, Kennedy pivoted to constitutional rights, accusing the press of “malpractice” for not challenging public health authorities and claiming doctors questioning pandemic responses were “marginalized and vilified.”

On measles, Kennedy told Bash that only “religious communities that don’t vaccinate” face outbreaks, ignoring that the 2025 West Texas outbreak spread to nearly 800 cases including two child deaths, with 2026 seeing the highest measles count in 35 years, over 90% among unvaccinated people. He claimed he has “never questioned the efficacy of the MMR vaccine,” yet told Fox News in March 2025 that vaccine immunity “wanes” in many people, contradicting his public statements and efforts to reduce childhood immunizations.

Kennedy revived the discredited claim that RSV epidemics stem from gain-of-function research, despite RSV being identified in the late 1950s before such research existed. On acetaminophen and autism, he cited “dozens of studies” when a 2025 review of 46 studies found only a possible link with no proof of causation; major medical organizations continue recommending acetaminophen for pain and fever in pregnancy. Over 700 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the U.S., with research estimating 2.5 million lives saved globally between 2020 and 2024.

Dr. Ashish Jha, former White House COVID-19 coordinator, rejected Kennedy’s claims as “factually not true,” emphasizing that accountability belongs with political leaders, not scientists providing advice. A CNN spokesperson defended Bash’s questioning as fundamental journalism, noting that Kennedy stated support for measles vaccination while Trump pressures him on vaccine-autism investigations, underscoring the tension between Kennedy’s contradictory public and private positions on vaccine safety.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/youre-talking-nonsense-rfk-jr-berates-cnns-bash-in-fiery-22-minute-brawl-on-fauci-trump-and-vaccines/)

Trump Pushes RFK Jr. to Cut Childhood Vaccine Recommendations

President Trump pressured Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a May lunch at Trump’s Virginia golf course to escalate efforts investigating a discredited link between vaccines and autism. Trump criticized Kennedy for having “the yips” on the vaccine issue, according to sources familiar with the conversation, despite White House political advisers urging Kennedy to downplay vaccine-related work ahead of midterm elections.

Trump’s central demand: accelerate efforts to reduce the number of vaccines in federal childhood immunization guidelines. According to sources, Trump stated his expectation that autism rates would decline following such reductions, even acknowledging the effect might take years to materialize. Trump previously ordered federal agencies to align with a January Department of Health and Human Services study proposing reduction of recommended childhood vaccines to only 11 diseases, eliminating vaccines for flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and certain meningitis strains.

Kennedy, long known for vaccine skepticism, reportedly expressed surprise at Trump’s direct intervention, having been asked by White House political advisers to tone down vaccine-focused initiatives before the midterms. Trump, however, steers nearly every conversation with his health secretary back to vaccines and autism, according to sources. Trump’s nominee for U.S. surgeon general, Casey Means, declined to directly answer vaccine guidance questions during Senate testimony despite holding a medical degree, further signaling administration hostility toward established vaccination protocols.

The administration’s push contradicts decades of medical research showing no connection between vaccines and autism. Following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s elimination of mandatory Pentagon flu vaccination requirements in April, a major flu outbreak sickened nearly 160 service members at an Air Force base within two months, demonstrating the real-world consequences of dismantling vaccination protections.

Trump’s intervention bypasses independent scientific evaluation of vaccine safety and efficacy. By directing his health secretary to prioritize a predetermined narrative about vaccines and autism, Trump has weaponized federal health policy to advance a disproven theory, subordinating public health to political ideology and personal conviction.



(Source: https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-rfk-jr-cut-vaccine-children-78582411?mod=hp_lead_pos7)

Trump Orders Federal Probe of Climate Science Academy Over ‘Fraudulent’ Guidance

President Donald Trump ordered federal officials to investigate the National Academy of Sciences, accusing the organization of publishing "fraudulent, biased, and misleading" climate guidance that he claimed influenced federal court decisions and cost the country billions of dollars. Trump directed federal suspension and debarment officials to examine the academy's conduct, characterizing its work as "Climate Fraud" and asserting that taxpayers should not fund the institution.

The directive targets the Federal Judicial Center's Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, a publication developed jointly with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to help federal judges evaluate scientific evidence in court. The manual's fourth edition, released in December, included a new chapter on climate science designed to assist judges assessing expert testimony in climate-related cases. That chapter was later withdrawn after Republican attorneys general argued it was biased against fossil fuel companies.

Trump claimed the academy has been "run by Radical Left Dumocrats" and that the organization's materials shaped major legal rulings across the country. In his Truth Social post, he stated that judges used these "bogus Manuals" to decide significant climate litigation cases, which he characterized as creating "huge losses across our Country."

Trump's order follows his broader assault on federal institutions, including his demand that NBC and ABC have their broadcast licenses revoked for declining to air his primetime address. The action represents his continued weaponization of federal power to punish institutions that do not align with his political agenda and to suppress scientific consensus on climate change.

The directive also came after Trump pressured Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney over wildfire management, demanding that Canada pay "damages" to the United States for smoke pollution drifting across the border. Trump claimed he raised the issue while attending the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/totally-discredited-trump-orders-probe-of-national-academy-of-sciences-over-bogus-climate-guidance/)

Two months after Hegseth’s regressive move, Air Force base faces major flu outbreak

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth eliminated the Pentagon’s mandatory flu vaccination requirement for service members in April 2026, reversing a longstanding military policy. Hegseth justified the change by invoking “medical autonomy,” despite the military’s historical practice of requiring up to 17 vaccinations depending on deployment location.

Less than two months after Hegseth’s policy reversal, a major flu outbreak sickened nearly 160 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, with one trainee in basic training dying after falling ill. The outbreak spread rapidly through a basic military training wing where recruits sleep in open bays and share communal dining facilities, creating ideal conditions for disease transmission.

Only approximately 40% of Air Force trainees at Lackland opted to receive the flu vaccine following Hegseth’s change, compared to the previous 100% compliance rate under the mandatory policy. In response to the outbreak, Lackland received an exception from Hegseth’s directive and reinstated the flu vaccine requirement for its recruits.

Military readiness has depended on disease prevention for centuries. General George Washington mandated smallpox inoculation for all troops in 1777, a decision that historian Craig Bruce Smith credited with saving countless lives and helping ensure American survival. The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer noted that disease has killed more soldiers throughout human history than any other cause.

Despite the outbreak at Lackland, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman stated the department stands by Hegseth’s decision to end the universal flu vaccine mandate across all military bases. The contradiction between revoking the policy and then reinstating it at a single base reveals the incoherence of an approach that prioritizes ideological framing over military health and operational readiness.



(Source: https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/hegseth-vaccines-air-force-base-flu-outbreak?cid=sm_fb_maddow&fbclid=IwdGRjcAShbURleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeL1WX56j9Hl6vJjx4fJIoH6eujjAQJaCRwTXs_bVGbG2BkkjAtjSxmHL_Nsk_aem_S_8AggQzLGIGLQ18Eg7R2w)of an approach that prioritizes ideological framing over military health and operational readiness.

White House App Exposes Users to Data Theft Via Undisclosed Third Parties

The Trump White House's official app collects and shares user data with third-party vendors without proper disclosure, according to cybersecurity researchers who analyzed its code. The app's privacy manifest on Apple's App Store is blank despite the fact that it transmits IP addresses, time zones, device identifiers, and mobile carrier information to companies including OneSignal and Elfsight, a Russia-founded software vendor. Philip Fields, a cybersecurity researcher and former FBI intelligence analyst, stated that "having an amateur WordPress developer running the White House's public presence puts everybody who visits it at risk," especially while the U.S. is engaged in military conflict.

The app fails to meet federal security standards and bypasses established oversight mechanisms. Federal apps and websites are required to use certified cloud services such as FedRamp or GovCloud, which have been vetted and certified by Congress for security compliance. Instead, the White House contracted with 45Press, an Ohio-based WordPress development company with no disclosed mobile app experience, which was awarded over $1.4 million in February. The app lacks basic security protections including code obfuscation and certificate pinning, making its code and network traffic vulnerable to reverse engineering.

Data sharing with third parties violates the app's stated privacy disclosures to users. Apple's app store requires developers to declare all data collection in privacy manifests; the White House app's manifest is completely blank, falsely indicating no data collection occurs. Cybersecurity researcher Thereallo noted that "users downloading an official government app would reasonably expect their data to stay within the US government systems, not flow to commercial third-party platforms." OneSignal's chief marketing officer acknowledged the company collects functional data but stated it is Apple's responsibility to ensure developers disclose this collection accurately.

The White House defended the app's security practices, claiming third-party vendors underwent full IT review and that data sharing is "standard" for applications. However, Sen. Dick Durbin, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, criticized the administration's cybersecurity failures, stating "in true Trump White House fashion, their lackluster app appears to pose a cybersecurity threat to its users," particularly as the administration simultaneously cuts funding from cybersecurity agencies. The app ranks as the third-most downloaded news app on Apple's App Store after its launch last week, with Trump promoting it as providing "front-row access" to his administration.

The White House has deployed four updates to the app within one week of its release, with developers attributing two updates to "minor bug fixes." Initial versions included inactive location-tracking permissions that were subsequently removed. Cybersecurity expert Adam Enger warned that state-sponsored attackers possess far more sophisticated analysis capabilities than independent researchers and are actively monitoring the app for vulnerabilities, stating "if I could find this by myself in an hour on Friday night, then how far along are our adversaries with this?"

(Source: https://www.notus.org/technology/trump-white-house-app-cybersecurity)

Trump Admin Dismantles $368M Ocean Monitoring

The Trump administration is dismantling a $368 million deep-ocean observation system deployed over the past decade to monitor coastal environments, marine ecosystems, and ocean currents affecting global climate. The National Science Foundation will remove over 900 deep-sea instruments anchored off Oregon, Washington, Alaska, North Carolina, and the Irminger Sea between Greenland and Iceland beginning in June, with removal taking approximately 15 months.

Scientists have relied on data from this network to understand how oceans absorb greenhouse gases, how ocean temperature changes affect fisheries and coastal flooding, and changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current, a critical global water circulation system that researchers warn may be weakening due to climate warming. A collapse of this current system could produce severe weather effects globally. Craig McLean, acting chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during Trump's first term, stated the dismantling "reflects the further lack of understanding that the current administration has of scientific value and scientific merit" and said it pushes "the United States back yet again into a rear seat in global scientific leadership."

The Trump administration repeatedly attempted to defund the Ocean Observatories Initiative, proposing 80 percent budget cuts in both 2025 and 2026, though Congress restored the $48 million annual operating budget both times. The administration proceeded with decommissioning despite congressional opposition, forcing system managers to disable some instruments and reduce data collection in response to funding pressure.

Hilary Palevsky, professor of earth and environmental sciences at Boston College, has used Irminger Sea data for a decade to study ocean carbon dioxide absorption. She characterized the removal "without a plan to store them or to continue collecting data" as "very hasty," noting that "there's a lot of expertise that has the potential to be lost" given the engineering complexity of maintaining remote ocean instruments and the difficulty of rebuilding such systems.

The observation network, which began operating in 2016 and was designed to function for 25 years, provided critical data for understanding coastal weather, commercial fisheries, and climate-related environmental changes across multiple U.S. regions. Jim Edson, the marine meteorologist who led the initiative, called it "the world's most advanced continuously operating ocean observing systems."

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/climate/ocean-observatories-initiative.html)

Trump Orders Agencies to Cut Childhood Vaccine Recommendations

President Trump issued an executive order on Friday directing federal agencies to align with a January Department of Health and Human Services study that proposes reducing the number of vaccines recommended for American children. The study, initiated by Trump in December, recommends vaccinating all children against only 11 diseases, moving vaccines for flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, certain meningitis strains, and RSV to optional status based on individual risk or doctor recommendation.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, championed the study's recommendations. Kennedy previously fired a 17-member CDC vaccine advisory committee and replaced several members with vaccine skeptics. Last year, he unilaterally eliminated CDC recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines in healthy children and pregnant women without citing new scientific data, a decision that public health experts disputed.

Trump's order directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to review the study and implement changes while claiming to "provide maximum flexibility to parents and doctors." The order requires all federal agencies to align their actions, regulations, and funding with the study's narrowed vaccine recommendations, bypassing normal scientific review processes and CDC expertise.

A federal judge in Massachusetts previously blocked the administration's attempt to narrow childhood vaccine recommendations, but the administration is appealing that decision. The order notes that states, not the federal government, set school vaccination requirements, though CDC guidance typically influences state policy. Some states have begun forming alliances to counter the Trump administration's vaccine guidance.

This executive order amplifies Kennedy's broader effort to dismantle federal health institutions and restructure disease prevention guidance, continuing the administration's pattern of politicizing public health agencies and subordinating them to ideological preferences rather than scientific evidence.

(Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/29/health/trump-vaccines-executive-order?Date=20260530&Profile=CNN&utm_content=1780111761&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwdGRleASIVNZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe_9SSNgi5lJnc9uNTBItggeu4yMQJN0_56vBJw_acwSjuB0IVPCQ8LXf4Hew_aem_xte3G03mLrJWbqCXcO35ug)

Kennedy Moves to Purge U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, told lawmakers at a Senate Finance Committee hearing that he intends to dismantle and reconstruct the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the federal committee responsible for recommending disease screening tests such as mammograms and colonoscopies and determining insurance coverage for preventive care. Kennedy called the existing committee “lackadaisical and negligent” and stated he would recruit new members, though he did not clarify whether he would fire current members or simply expand the panel. This effort follows Kennedy’s earlier purge of a CDC vaccine advisory panel, where he removed existing members and appointed his own replacements until a judge blocked those appointments.

Kennedy claimed the current task force lacks adequate representation from medical specialties including anesthesiologists and oncologists, and said the Department of Health and Human Services is now soliciting nominations and applications for new members. He also pledged to increase transparency in task force meetings but admitted he has “not done a good job” rescheduling meetings that were postponed indefinitely last year. Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, himself a physician, questioned whether Kennedy had a concrete reform plan, while Kennedy provided no specific timeline or methodology for restructuring the committee.

At the hearing, Democratic Senator Christine Smith of Minnesota pressed Kennedy on Medicaid cuts included in the Trump administration’s tax bill, noting the reductions in funding for breast cancer screenings and other preventive health programs. Kennedy falsely denied that legally enrolled Medicaid beneficiaries were losing coverage and, without evidence, attributed Medicaid cuts to health care fraud. He and Republican lawmakers repeated unsubstantiated claims about fraud but provided no documentation supporting the assertion.

The task force restructuring represents an abuse of power over an independent scientific body that provides guidance to physicians and insurance companies nationwide. Kennedy’s history of dismantling expert-led health committees and replacing them with ideologically aligned appointees signals an effort to subordinate public health recommendations to disinformation about vaccines and screening protocols. The blocking of his previous vaccine panel appointments by federal court demonstrates legal recognition of such overreach.

(Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/rfk-jr-set-to-overhaul-key-committee-that-issues-disease-screening-recommendations/?utm_campaign=sprinklr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&fbclid=IwVERFWARY_wVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe4SpCgnPHYbnMENG-EubY11nP-xm5MJxEkbF-hH2FVr7sQXFdinekVLBBAek_aem_jN1EA9Sr_qSDLx3DEzwTpA)

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