[Above image: a non-polio enterovirus as seen under a microscope] The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) terms the current measles outbreak in the U.S. as “large multi-state outbreak.” Discussion has permeated everywhere from traditional news media to commentary and pop culture websites. At 141 cases and growing, the incidence of measles is widely considered serious […]
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The 2015 U.S. Measles Outbreak: Facts at Your Fingertips
[Above image: an infant who is too young to be vaccinated and infected with measles rash] A total of 141 people in the U.S.– almost all of them in California -- have caught a highly contagious case of measles since January 1, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Measles is nothing to sneeze at. It often comes […]
Whistleblower Farmer Files Retaliation Complaint Against Perdue Chicken Company
A program affiliated with the watchdog group the Government Accountability Project (GAP) has filed a whistleblower retaliation complaint against Perdue. The complaint alleges Perdue initiated intimidation tactics against a farmer who exposed serious chicken welfare concerns. [quote]"This is an historic event, the first case and filing of its kind in the U.S., where a contract farmer and whistleblower […]
Lance Armstrong's Unraveling
[Above Image: Lance Armstrong at press conference for 2009 Tour Down Under in Adelaide, South Australia.] USA Today reports on the massive perjury penalty just handed down against cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong for lying under oath about using performance-enhancing drugs. The $10 million sanction is believed to be the largest of its kind in […]
Unanswered Benghazi Questions: 9th in a Series
[Above image: Aftermath of Benghazi attacks, obtained by Judicial Watch in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the U.S. State Dept.] [box type="tick" style="rounded"]9. Is it true that "specific measures" were taken to ensure "our preparedness and security posture" as stated in a White House press release on September 10, 2012 -- the day before […]
Hillary Clinton Will Be Invited to Testify to House Benghazi Committee
The House Select Committee on Benghazi is expected to hear testimony from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a public setting. But first, committee members say the State Department must fully comply with the committee's outstanding request for documents and emails. What are some of the unanswered questions regarding the terrorist attacks more than two […]
After the Buzz: News Anchor Celebrity-ism. What's an Anchor do, anyway?
Howie Kurtz of MediaBuzz and I discuss the role of national news anchor in the wake of the NBC Brian Williams controversy. [button link="http://video.foxnews.com/v/4040351006001/after-the-buzz-brian-williams-celebrity/?#sp=show-clips"]Watch the video here[/button]
Propaganda and Astroturf: Recognize it.
Here's my TEDx talk on the increasingly artificial paid-for reality we get...and how to recognize the truth. "Astroturf seeks to manipulate you into changing your opinion by making it seem as if you're an outlier--when you're not." "Hallmarks of astroturf and propaganda include use of inflammatory language such as quack, crank, nutty, pseudo, paranoid and […]