Topic: Tobacco Industry

Dr. Marty McCary resigned as FDA Commissioner after 13 months, reportedly due to White House pressure to authorize flavored vapes. While McCary was also criticized by Republicans over the abortion pill Mifepristone, the "final straw" was the vaping policy. The hosts find the focus on flavored vapes suspicious and suggest there may be deeper ties to Big Pharma or the tobacco industry.

Dr. Celine Gounder appeared on CBS to discuss the complexity of identifying autism causes, comparing the research to the decades-long effort to link smoking to lung cancer. She reiterated that the link between vaccines and autism has been "debunked," a term the hosts find suspicious. The segment explores potential environmental triggers being studied, including ultrasounds, obesity, and air pollution.

A psychological theory is discussed suggesting that highlighting the "danger" of a candidate may actually increase their appeal, similar to how graphic warning labels on cigarette packs in Europe reportedly led to higher sales. The hosts speculate that the media's constant framing of Donald Trump as "dangerous" might be a deliberate or accidental strategy that bolsters his support among certain voters.

The FDA has reversed its decision on Juul vapes after previously imposing regulations that devastated the independent vaping industry. The hosts argue that the initial crackdown, which required $1 million per flavor for market entry, cleared out competition to benefit large incumbents. They link this regulatory behavior to the need for overturning Chevron deference to prevent agencies from "running roughshod" over specific industries.

Sir Vladimir Klege of Ostrava, Czechia, celebrated his 55th birthday by opening a small vape shop after 30 years in the tobacco industry. He requested business karma for his new venture and a "Milf" jingle for his wife, Olga. Klege has been a long-time listener of the program, dating back to the "Cranky Geeks" era.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Surgeon General Jerome Adams suggest that vaping may be a factor in why younger Americans are experiencing severe COVID-19 symptoms. The hosts argue this is a targeted attack on the vaping industry funded by Michael Bloomberg, noting the lack of similar warnings regarding traditional tobacco.

The CDC has stepped back from its broad recommendation against e-cigarettes as the "vaping illness" was linked to illicit THC cartridges rather than nicotine products. President Trump reportedly expressed regret for his personal involvement in the vaping ban, which was seen as a win for the traditional tobacco industry. The hosts argue the initial panic was a "hoax" that caused permanent damage to the vaping market.

Senator Mitt Romney has proposed legislation to ban flavored vapes and impose new excise taxes on nicotine products, which the hosts view as a move to protect the Master Settlement Agreement funds tied to traditional tobacco. Meanwhile, President Trump appears to be reversing his earlier support for a total flavor ban, announcing meetings with vaping industry representatives to find a solution that balances children's safety with job preservation.

The hosts observe that mainstream media outlets quickly stopped discussing the high approval ratings for Trump's State of the Union address once the numbers were finalized. They mock the "unhinged" nature of modern political analysis, where even terms like "chain smoking" might eventually be labeled racist by association.

John Cook, a cognitive scientist at George Mason University, is testing a "vaccine" against climate change denial. The method involves "inoculating" people by warning them about strategies used in misinformation campaigns, drawing parallels to historical tactics used by the tobacco industry.

Hillary Clinton advocates for removing legal immunity for gun manufacturers and sellers, urging Bernie Sanders to support the closure of the "Charleston loophole." The discussion compares this strategy to lawsuits against the tobacco industry. The hosts argue that holding manufacturers liable for the criminal use of their products is a strategic move to bypass Second Amendment protections.

New York State investigates Exxon over claims the company knew about climate change in 1977 but funded denial campaigns. The hosts argue the analogy to the tobacco industry is flawed and designed to extract billions in settlements.

The hosts rebut the claim that oil companies run a disinformation campaign modeled after the tobacco industry. One host, drawing on personal experience working for Union Oil, argues that energy companies were actually focused on "peak oil" and future energy transitions rather than hiding scientific data. They dismiss the comparison to tobacco executives lying to Congress as "bullcrap."

The discussion shifts to the economics of marijuana, noting that most product in California is grown locally in counties like Mendocino rather than smuggled from Mexico. Theories are explored regarding the pharmaceutical industry's opposition to legalization due to existing government patents on synthetic cannabinoids.

Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, owner of the New Jersey Nets, is discussed following a profile on 60 Minutes. The hosts highlight that he is represented by the PR firm Hill & Knowlton, which previously managed the public image of the tobacco industry and is currently involved in climate change messaging.

The hosts critique climate researcher Kari Noorgaard's comparison of climate skeptics to the tobacco industry. They argue that the terms "denier" and "denialist" are propagandistic tricks designed to associate climate skepticism with Holocaust denial.

Electronic cigarettes, which deliver nicotine via vaporized propylene glycol, are gaining popularity as a healthier alternative to traditional smoking. There is speculation that the tobacco industry is attempting to suppress the technology, despite concerns over the chemicals used in the vaporizing liquid.