SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN STILL WORKING THROUGH ITS TDS: Scientific American attacks Jay Bhattacharya for prioritizing Americans’ autonomy over ‘the science.’

Scientific American, a 179-year-old magazine published by the German-British Springer Nature Group, appears increasingly keen to dirty itself with politics rather than engage in clean science.

Just weeks after Laura Helmuth stepped down as the magazine’s editor in chief after an ugly rant in which she effectively called over 77.3 million Americans who voted for President-elect Donald Trump both “fascists” and “bigoted,” and months after the magazine pushed gender ideologues’ pseudoscientific narrative, Scientific American published a piece claiming that Trump’s choice of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to run the National Institutes of Health is “the wrong move for science and public health.”

Extra to insinuating that Bhattacharya was not actually censored during the pandemic and arguing that the destructive approach championed by the scientific establishment during the pandemic was not authoritarian, the author of the piece, Steven Albert, concern-mongered that Trump’s pick might prioritize Americans’ personal autonomy if confirmed as head of the NIH.

Debate over therapeutics, health protocols, and the origin of COVID-19 was stifled during the pandemic. Bhattacharya, among the experts whose views were suppressed at the urging of Biden health officials, refused to uncritically accept the prevailing wisdom of medical establishmentarians who advocated for lockdowns, vaccine mandates, masking for kids, and other ruinous COVID-19 policies.

Bhattacharya, a professor of health policy at Stanford University, co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration, which suggested that geriatrics and other higher-risk groups should engage in shielding, whereas healthy individuals should “immediately be allowed to resume life as normal.” According to the declaration, healthy individuals were better off catching the virus and developing natural immunity.

Scientific establishmentarians keen on coercive medicine and blanket lockdowns attacked Bhattacharya for proposing this alternative approach. President Joe Biden’s former chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci called the declaration “total nonsense.” Former National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins conspired to issue a “quick and devastating takedown” of Bhattacharya’s criticism.

In the weeks since Trump announced that Bhattacharya would “restore the NIH to a Gold Standard of Medical Research,” establishmentarians have resumed their attacks on the esteemed epidemiologist both at home and abroad.

Earlier:

● The Mask Comes Off: Determined to defend face coverings, a Scientific American article dismisses scientific “rigor.”

● Scientific American: “As the daughter of a cancer researcher, Kamala Harris would bring a lifelong familiarity with science to the presidency, experts say.”

● Scientific American Editor-in-Chief Resigns After MAGA Meltdown Went Viral.

FIGHT THE POWER! How a Laid-Back California Beach Town Emerged as Headquarters for the Anti-Newsom Resistance.

When a slate of Republicans worked together in 2022 to win back control of the Huntington Beach, Calif., city council, the four candidates signed a “contract” with voters. Most of the planks weren’t particularly controversial: They pledged to combat homelessness, crack down on crime, slash red tape, and roll out the red carpet to businesses.

But it was the first plank of the contract — a vow to give the city attorney the authority to fight Sacramento overreach, including state housing mandates — that has in many ways come to define an aggressive new brand of Surf City politics.

After taking over the board, those Republicans have transformed this laid-back beach community into the unofficial headquarters of the resistance to Governor Gavin Newsom and the blue-state policies championed by the Democrats who run the state. Huntington Beach leaders have repeatedly fought the state in court over laws they believe infringe on their rights to govern locally, and they’ve passed laws of their own taking aim at left-wing shibboleths, including Pride flags, Covid masks, and sexually-explicit library books.

The populist pushback is almost certain to intensify over the coming years after a slate of three more conservatives romped the council’s last three liberals on Election Day, giving them a 7–0 board supermajority. They celebrated on swearing-in day, donning red “Make Huntington Beach Great Again” hats with “7–0” embroidered on the side — a not-so-subtle poke in the eye to their left-wing critics.

Councilman Tony Strickland, a former Republican state assemblyman, dubbed the new majority the “MAGA-nificent 7.”

But while there will almost surely be plenty of more fights to be had as Newsom sets himself up for a likely 2028 presidential run, Pat Burns, a councilman who is now serving as Huntington Beach’s mayor, insists that despite their rambunctious reputation, sparring with the governor isn’t his and the board’s primary mission.

While Newsom begins any presidential election bid with a guaranteed 54 electoral college votes, from a state that as Dave Barry recently wrote, “apparently tabulates its ballots on a defective Etch-a-Sketch,” meaning it can come up with any result Sacramento chooses to manufacture, the anti-California commercials his opponents will craft will be loads of fun to watch. Or as Joel Kotkin asks and answers: California ruled with great jobs and boom times. What happened?

NO JEWS, NO NEWS:

BREAKING: Palestinians in the West Bank have taken to the streets to protest Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

They are also protesting Al Jazeera, for whitewashing terrorists to look like “leaders.” Al Jazeera is too radical for Palestinians, but not for Western academics. pic.twitter.com/i3J6ElKwag

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) December 29, 2024

As Trey said, there is a civil war happening between Hamas and the West Bank. No media outlets are picking it up, because they would never want to portray Hamas or the Palestinian Authority as violent.

No Jews, no news. https://t.co/Ecg4SZrf0J

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) December 29, 2024

Meanwhile:

While Christians are murdered and churches are burned all over the Muslim world, the Pope condemns Israel and denies its right to defend itself against Islamic terrorism.

Link: https://t.co/c8FdCjjjv2? pic.twitter.com/7NXKE507Mi

— Liza Rosen (@LizaRosen0000) December 29, 2024

LIMITED TIME DEAL: DEWALT 20V MAX Cordless Drill and Impact Driver. #CommissionEarned

AT LEAST: There were 21 campus hate crime hoaxes uncovered in 2024.

BUT OF COURSE: Tufts University offering ‘Transcestors’ course next semester.

LIMITED TIME DEAL: Coway Airmega AP-1512HH(W) True HEPA Purifier with Air Quality Monitoring. #CommissionEarned

YA THINK? “This feels like an effort to puff up Biden. Few analysts deny Biden’s accomplishments?! Maybe the trick is to ascribe special meaning to the word ‘analysts’ — if you don’t think this is an impressive accomplishment, you’re not an analyst. Or maybe the idea is that any accomplishment is an accomplishment, so what’s to deny? But look how clearly the article states that Biden intended to use the Justice Department to destroy his political adversary!”

UPDATE: “This episode demonstrates that this notion of the Department of Justice as “independent” has always been a ruse. . . . Moreover, Biden expressly viewed the criminal prosecution of Trump as a way to harm his primary political opponent. The stuff about protecting democracy was just a veneer, as evidenced by the silence about insurrection and fascism in the lead-up to January 6, 2025. By the way, when is Garland going to resign?”

Not until the last document is shredded and the last cellphone destroyed with a hammer.

WELL, BLOOMBERG: Bloomberg Flubs Data For Bombshell Report That Only 6% Of New Corporate Hires Are White. If true, such a statistic could launch a legion of victorious racial discrimination lawsuits — blacks, Asians, and Hispanics make up roughly 40% of the population, and there is no way they could obtain 94% of new jobs without some level of discrimination. But the takeaway from Bloomberg is an example of innumeracy by journalists at an outlet once relied upon by businessmen for savvy financial analysis — or of willfully setting aside common sense in favor of what the publication acknowledged is an ideologically-driven ‘project to hold companies accountable to [diversity] pledges.'”

A friend comments: “In a ‘who gets the numbers right’ contest between journalists, naive folks might suppose that the expensive, paywalled, putatively non-ideological, business-focused Bloomberg would outperform the open-access, conservative Daily Wire. Not so fast, my friend….”

“BECAUSE WE SHREDDED IT ALREADY!” Raskin doubts Republicans’ abilities to pursue charges against Cheney, Hutchinson.

Personally, I doubt the veracity of anything Jamie Raskin says.

SURPRISING: Analysis: Democrats’ Campaign To Win Back Normal Americans Going as Poorly as Expected.

THIS DOES SEEM PLAUSIBLE:

In the real 3D world, it’s always been real love. Grateful for it. Good debate makes us stronger.

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 28, 2024

ELIZABETH SCALIA: Flashback: I AM’ Is Here, and Is Concerned—Yes, About You.

TWO DIFFERENT THREE-LETTER WORDS FOR INCOMPETENCE: DEI and the CIA.

DIE YOUNG?  Rapid brain aging occurs at three distinct ages, scientists discover: Here’s how to slow it down.

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: The death throes of the university are upon us: Mounting financial pressure and a crisis of purpose spell serious trouble for higher education.

If only there had been some sort of warning.

HE ALSO ACCUSES FIRE OF BEING HOT AND BEARS OF DEFECATING IN THE WOODS:   Trump accuses Dems of paying celebs millions to endorse Harris’ presidential campaign: ‘What is going on here???’

POSSIBLY BECAUSE THERE WAS NO DOG, OR NOTHING FOR THE DOG TO BARK AT:  January 6th and the Dog That Didn’t Bark.

YOU KNOW THAT NIGHTMARE WHERE YOU DREAM YOU’VE AWAKENED?  The Twelve Woke Days of Christmas.

JUST IN CASE YOU THOUGHT HE MIGHT NOT BE DELUSIONAL:  Biden regrets leaving presidential race, thinks he could’ve beaten Trump: report.

THANKS JOE. WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THIS MIGHT HAVE MATTERED?  Retiring Sen. Joe Manchin Writes Scathing Tweet About Joe Biden.

NOT THE FIRST OF RECENT MEMORY:  What the National Archives Just Did Is a Total Scandal.

I’VE SEEN THIS, EXPLICITLY AND IMPLICITLY OVER THE LAST TWENTY YEARS. OVER AND OVER AGAIN, IN A BUNCH OF FIELDS:  Until a few years ago I was working as a mid-career research scientist, no I won’t tell you what field. Within my collaboration I was known for being extremely productive. I’ve seen jaws drop when I show colleagues my publication list.

And for those with no twitter/x account, here’s the link.

SHE REALLY WANTS BUSINESSES TO MOVE OUT OF NEW YORK, I GUESS:  NY Gov. Kathy Hochul Signs Law Forcing Energy Companies to Fund “Climate Change Superfund”.

BEHOLD! MY SHOCKED FACE:  Homelessness Increased by 18 Percent in 2024 and More Americans Can’t Afford to Buy Houses.