The New Dark Age

The Thriller said:

Red, you reside on the east coast, right? I think you could benefit by spending some time out here in the Rocky Mountain west. These people live in a stupor a mass psychosis. And the only way out is pain. They need to feel their poor electoral choices. If the hope stove burns no one then people will keep touching it. And next time it might not be with someone as old, incompetent, or stupid as Trump.

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Yeah, I’m in the East Coast megalopolis, Boston to D.C. you know urban America will always be more liberal than conservative rural America. And that’s been a noticeable difference, and divide, for a long time. Love Utah. Would love to get out there again sometime.

In particular, Kratsios’ first major initiative — a directive calling on federal agencies to promote ‘gold standard science’ — has attracted widespread criticism for undermining and politicizing science. Most crucially, the guidance expands political power over sensitive science topics and questions of alleged research misconduct. When Kratsios defended the effort in an editorial in the journal Science on 24 June (M. Kratsios Science 389, 7; 2025), one of his predecessors, John Holdren, went so far as to publish a letter in Science accusing Kratsios of deploying Orwellian doublespeak to defend a proposal that will further enable the Trump administration’s attacks on science. “And now the fox in the henhouse overseeing it all is Michael Kratsios?” wrote Holdren, a physicist at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who served as science adviser to former US president Barack Obama. “What a charade!”

Holdren is not alone. “We were really hopeful that Kratsios would defend science, but it doesn’t look like he is going to do that,” says Kenneth Evans, a science-policy researcher at Rice University in Houston, Texas. The question now, Evans adds, is whether Kratsios and the Trump administration will present a positive agenda for science. “Tearing everything down doesn’t seem like a way forward.”

Kratsios declined multiple interview requests from Nature, and the OSTP declined to comment on the allegations in this article.

Crafting and presenting the dictator’s preferred “history”.


The White House plans to conduct a far-reaching review of Smithsonian museum exhibitions, materials and operations ahead of America’s 250th anniversary to ensure the museums align with President Trump’s interpretation of American history.

In a letter sent to Lonnie Bunch, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, three top White House officials said they want to ensure the museums present the “unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story” and reflect the president’s executive order calling for “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”

Areas under scrutiny range from public-facing exhibition text and online content to internal curatorial processes, exhibition planning, the use of collections and artist grants.

“This initiative aims to ensure alignment with the president’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions,” the letter states.

The letter, dated Tuesday, Aug. 12, and viewed by The Wall Street Journal, was signed by White House senior associate Lindsey Halligan, the director of the domestic policy council, Vince Haley, and the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought.

“This is about preserving trust in one of our most cherished institutions,” Halligan said in a statement. “The Smithsonian museums and exhibits should be accurate, patriotic, and enlightening—ensuring they remain places of learning, wonder, and national pride for generations to come.”

“The Smithsonian’s work is grounded in a deep commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history,” the Smithsonian said. “We are reviewing the letter with this commitment in mind and will continue to collaborate constructively with the White House, Congress, and our governing Board of Regents.”

The White House review of the Smithsonian’s extensive collection of art and historical artifacts comes as the president has sought to reorient the country’s cultural institutions, including top universities, and demonstrates Trump’s efforts to recast parts of American history in a more positive light.

The Smithsonian’s Board of Regents agreed to conduct a thorough review of all its museum and zoo content to eliminate political influence and bias, the Journal previously reported.

Sarah Weicksel, executive director of the American Historical Association, said the White House’s effort was an affront to the historians and curators trained to ensure historical accuracy.

“If those things are taken out of the hands of historians, the public stands to lose a great deal in having reliable and engaging content that tells a whole and complex story of the American past,” she said.

The president singled out the Smithsonian Institution in his executive order and said the Smithsonian had recently “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology” that promotes “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.” He directed Vice President JD Vance, a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, and senior officials to work with Congress to block the Smithsonian from receiving appropriations for exhibitions and programs that don’t align with his opposition to initiatives that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

Calls for the removal of RFK Jr. Such an incompetent fool. MAHA will kill more Americans for its views on vaccines alone. Shows us just how little Trump cares about his fellow citizens. RFK Jr. has got to go……


Agrassroots organization of health professionals has released a report outlining major health challenges in the US and calling for the removal of Robert F Kennedy Jr from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The report from Defend Public Health, a new organization of about 3,000 health professionals and allies, is an attempt to get ahead of misinformation and lack of information from health officials.

In an effort to keep making progress in public health, Defend Public Health’s report was slated to coincide with that of the anticipated second US report to “make America healthy again” (Maha). The first Maha report was released in May, and a second report was expected this week – but amid turmoil at the health agencies, it has reportedly been delayed for several weeks.

“The Maha report is essentially a distraction from the real causes of poor health,” said Elizabeth Jacobs, professor emerita at the University of Arizona and a founding member of Defend Public Health.

“This administration does not want to address things like poverty and education and access to healthcare. Instead, they’re distracting the public with information on solutions to problems that don’t actually exist. When the foundation of your policy is not evidence-based, it will collapse.”

The Defend Public Health report diverges from the previous Maha focus on issues such as processed foods and environmental chemicals, but it covers familiar ground in public health.

The group highlights the importance of food safety, security and access to food, including through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), and improved opportunities for physical activity.

They seek to ensure equitable access to vaccines; expand access to healthcare, including comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare access; and build strategies for clean air.

The report also recommends fully funding scientific research and public health systems; combatting scientific misinformation, including from the US government; and strengthening pandemic preparedness. They call for reductions in gun violence, now the number one cause of death for children.

And their last recommendation is to remove Robert F Kennedy Jr, secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), from office, calling his removal “the single most important step toward improving the health of Americans”.

The recommendations are exactly what the US needs to address to become healthier, said Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association (APHA). If you “look at the things that actually kill people, from the 10 leading causes of death, that is indeed the right list”.