 |
| Ivanka Trump |
There is no question that Donald Trump, who dismisses climate change as a hoax cooked up by China and famously suggested that drinking disinfectants may be a way to cure COVID-19, presides over the most anti-science White House that this nation has ever seen.
Since up is down and down is up in Trump Land, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, issued a press release on Oct 27 to tout its major accomplishments.
It is a doozy and ranks as one of the worst press releases that I have seen in my more than 30-year run at O’Dwyer’s. The release lacks details and says nothing.
The White House Science & Tech squad hails the twitter-in-chief for ending the COVID-19.
That “accomplishment” is a tad premature as the virus killed 1,016 Americans on Oct. 29 and infected more than 80K others.
A House subcommittee on the handling of the COVID-19 released a report on Oct. 30 calling it “among the worst failures of leadership in American history” and an “American fiasco.”
There is another section in the White House release called “Understanding Our Planet” that is a real head-scratcher.
It credits Trump’s leadership for “taken action to understand and protect our environment to ensure that the American people will have clean air, clean water and a resilient environment for generations to come.” That word salad is meaningless, gobbledygook.
I don’t know what planet the S&T office is talking about but on Earth their guy transformed the Environmental Protection Agency into a clubhouse for fossil fuel lobbyists and moved to trash the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. Trump also never stumbled upon an Obama era environmental regulation that he liked.
But the following quote is the kicker:
“Over the past four years, President Trump’s policies and investments in science and technology ensure America stands ready to solve today’s most pressing challenges and that our workforce is prepared for tomorrow’s innovations. For years to come these achievements will guarantee the US remains the leader in research, discovery and the advancement of industries that will shape our future.”
Those hollow words are attributed to none other, but Ivanka Trump, one-time weekend teen model and marketer of Chinese-made clothing and shoes who must have a couple of high school science classes under her fashionable belt.
Melania must have been too busy to sing the praises of hubby.
The inclusion of Ivanka makes a joke about the “Advancing America’s Global Leadership in Science and Technology: Trump Administration Highlights: 2017-2020” report.
But that might be the point of the Trump administration scientists who toughed out four years of the White House’s absolute indifference to science and embracement of off-the-wall nonsense.
They are ready to close the books on the Trump nightmare and cheer Joe Biden as he works to restore the integrity of America in the global scientific community.
Donald Trump is 100 percent correct that he has lousy PR but that's only because his policies stink and are hurting Americans... Will billionaires or civil society groups shape the future of AI regulations?... "Evidence in an Age of Doubt" is the timely theme of this year's investigative film festival put on by the 100Reporters group. 
WPP CEO Cindy Rose works to manage shareholder expectations ahead of the Oct. 29 release of financials. Don't expect a miracle turnaround... Kudos to Skydance chief David Ellison for keeping CNN CEO Mark Thompson on the job. Now he has to expend Thompson's contract... Vast majority of Americans want federal government to regulate AI. They obviously don't trust the "super intelligence" president to oversee AI.
Don’t believe what your eyes see and ears hear is the mantra of Donald Trump who claims his propaganda advertising designed to boost his fragile ego are “clearly not campaign ads”... Democratic National Committee steps up outreach to Jewish Americans as antisemitism rises and traditional support for Israel tanks. 
The Trump administration's crackerjack team designed America.gov, which puts all services offered by US agencies under a single AI roof. What could possibly go wrong?... ESG pioneer Starbucks jumps off the sustainability train in favor of corporate cost-cutting... Perception of press freedom plummets to all-time low, according to Gallup survey.
China's president Xi Jinping won the PR battle over Donald Trump as the American groveled before his guest of honor on the tarmac of Joint Base Andrews. Trump’s kowtowing to Xi is a sign of both his personal weakness and of America’s decline on the global stage.
