LET’S START THE DAY WITH A LITTLE BLUE-ON-BLUE ACTION: Former Biden Speechwriter Accuses NY Times of Stealing News Startup’s Pollution Reporting Without Attribution.

The allegations followed the Times’ Saturday investigation into how Trump exempted more than 200 industrial facilities from stricter clean-air regulations. Hunterbrook claims portions of the report closely resemble two investigations it published months earlier into chemical pollution at plants in Texas and Virginia. The Times’ article now includes an acknowledgment of Hunterbrook’s previous coverage, though it does not specifically credit the outlet’s individual findings or reporting methods.

In a series of posts on X, Hunterbrook pointed to its May investigation into an April accident at Sterilization Services of Virginia, where a faulty valve released 580 lbs. of ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing gas. Both newsrooms used the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s HYSPLIT modeling system to illustrate how the chemical spread into nearby communities.

Hunterbrook also highlighted similarities between the Times’ reporting and its February investigation into Indorama Ventures’ chemical plant in Port Neches, Texas, which received an exemption from federal pollution rules despite a history of chemical releases.

When your ethics are seriously questioned by a former Biden speechwriter…