Topic: Deniers

CBS News reports that nearly 80 officials in election oversight positions across seven swing states are considered "election deniers." The criteria for this label include publicly supporting the January 6th riots or questioning the 2020 election results. The hosts mock the report, placing themselves in the "conspiracy camp."

Journalist Yamiche Alcindor reports that 74% of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, citing Democratic fears of a Trump return. Alcindor notes that voters are particularly worried about "election deniers" winning in 2022 and 2024, as well as the future of abortion rights. The hosts mock the visual quality of her remote broadcast, which featured an unmade hotel bed.

Media organizations have launched a coordinated narrative around the term "election deniers" to describe those questioning the 2020 election results. This rhetoric is compared to past political disputes, such as Al Gore's 2000 election challenge. Critics argue the term is a propaganda tool used to frame political opponents as threats to democracy without specific evidence of the alleged threat.

Journalist Katie Couric reflects on a Gallup poll showing that public trust in newspapers and television news has hit an all-time low. Couric questions whether the current state of journalism is doing "more harm than good" for society. The segment also notes the shift in media terminology from "insurrectionist" to "election denier" when describing political dissent.

A new medical billing code, ICD-10 Z28.20, has been introduced to track patients who decide not to be immunized for unspecified reasons. This code allows insurance companies and healthcare providers to flag individuals in their permanent records. The hosts express concern that this data will be used to marginalize or penalize those who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine.

The hosts express frustration that mainstream media is only now reporting on topics they discussed a year ago, such as gain-of-function research and aerosol transmission. A brief tangent involves a joke about suing for libel after being labeled "nut jobs" by critics.

A Gallup poll indicates a decline in American concern regarding global warming despite government reports linking extreme weather to human activity. Neil deGrasse Tyson defines scientific truth as an emergent consensus from competing research, while EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt expresses skepticism that CO2 is the primary "control knob" for climate. The segment concludes with a media exchange where Pruitt rejects the label of "denier" before a segment featuring Bill Nye.

Jennifer Loveberg of San Marcos, California, sent a box of tangerines to the hosts, leading to a discussion about the fruit's unique seed characteristics. Another producer, Eric Asbury, requested a "Don't Be A Denier" jingle, prompting a sarcastic performance regarding the "settled science" of climate change. The hosts continue to process a record number of $200 donations from the "200 Club."

During a three-hour White House summit on public health and climate change, EPA Director Gina McCarthy claimed 57,000 people would die prematurely by 2100 without action. She dismissed climate deniers, stating that "normal human beings" support government intervention. The hosts criticize her use of specific statistics, such as saving acreage the size of Maryland from wildfires.

Bill Nye faced criticism for a tweet claiming that no weathercaster may utter the phrase "climate change" during the Texas and Oklahoma floods. Critics pointed out that local weathercasters were indeed mentioning climate change, making Nye's claim factually incorrect. The discussion highlights the labeling of Senator Ted Cruz as a "documented denier" and the increasing politicization of extreme weather events.

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson appeared on Charlie Rose to discuss "science deniers" and the role of journalism. Tyson argues that journalists should not give equal time to fringe perspectives on established scientific truths, such as climate change. He suggests that "emergent truths" should be reported without the obligation of providing a balanced platform for skeptics.

Neil deGrasse Tyson appeared on television to discuss a perceived "war on science," targeting climate change and vaccine deniers. Tyson argued that science is not something people can "cherry-pick" and that society must embrace scientific innovation to avoid regressing.

Neil deGrasse Tyson, host of the "Cosmos" reboot on Fox, appeared on CNN to discuss the "war on science." Tyson argued that scientific truths are not subject to "cherry-picking" and compared climate change skeptics to members of the Flat Earth Society. Critics argue that Tyson and the media are using science as a political tool to shut down debate on issues like man-made global warming.

Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication identifies "the dismissive" as the 15% of the public who believe climate change is a conspiracy. He claims that "climate denial" was bankrolled to the tune of $558 million by conservative foundations. The hosts argue that this amount is dwarfed by the billions spent on pro-climate change initiatives.

Al Gore launched the "Climate Reality Project," a campaign intended to "reveal the deniers" and link cataclysmic weather events directly to climate change. The hosts criticize Gore for conflating weather with climate—a practice he previously discouraged—and characterize his rhetoric as a sleazy threat against scientific dissenters.