The Bias Brief

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PBS NewsHourSep 17, 2026High impactNewsClimate Science Foreign

Climate change made deadly Nepal glacier and rock collapse more likely, analysis finds

A World Weather Attribution analysis found that human-caused climate change thinned glaciers and thawed permafrost, likely contributing to Nepal’s deadly August glacier and rock collapse. The disaster killed more than 1,300 people, left over 5,000 missing, and caused billions in damage. The report and quoted scientists say rapid fossil fuel reductions are needed to reduce future mountain destabilization risks.

Washington ExaminerSep 19, 2026Sig. 7OpinionScience Education Politics

China is winning the science race while Washington freezes American innovation

An op-ed argues that federal research funding delays and proposed White House budget office rules are freezing American innovation and helping China win the science race. It cites fewer doctoral admissions, frozen medical trials, and bipartisan congressional opposition to the grant-cancellation rule.

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Washington ExaminerSep 18, 2026Sig. 7NewsHealth Politics Science

Trump says he is demanding drugmakers break up vaccines into five shots to prevent autism

Trump said his administration is pressuring drugmakers to split childhood vaccines into five lower-dose shots given at six-month intervals, citing the debunked vaccine-autism theory. The article notes the MMR-autism claim traces to a fraudulent, retracted 1998 study and that Trump previously signed an executive order reducing recommended childhood vaccines.

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CBS NewsSep 18, 2026Sig. 8NewsHealth Politics Science

RFK Jr. tells anti-vaccine activists they have a "friend in the White House"

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told an anti-vaccine activist conference that they have a "friend in the White House," touting the administration's vaccine policy changes. The speech drew criticism from public health advocates and Pennsylvania's governor amid the worst U.S. measles outbreak in decades.

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The GuardianSep 18, 2026Sig. 3NewsCulture Science

Fat Bear Week has returned – and the salmon are swimming for their lives

Fat Bear Week returns to Alaska’s Katmai national park for its 12th year, inviting the public to vote for the fattest brown bear as the animals prepare for hibernation. The article describes the event’s growth, the Brooks River salmon run, and the stories of individual bears.

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The GuardianSep 18, 2026Sig. 7NewsHealth Science Politics

‘Clear retribution’: dismay as key Alzheimer’s study cancelled amid Trump attacks on science

A 15-year Alzheimer's and health study in Pittsburgh was cancelled after federal grant terminations, leaving about 600 participants unlikely to receive promised cognitive test results. Researchers and participants describe the cancellation as retribution tied to Trump administration attacks on science and DEI-targeted funding cuts, warning of delayed Alzheimer's diagnoses.

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PBS NewsHourSep 18, 2026Sig. 7NewsHealth Politics Science

WATCH: RFK Jr. speaks at conference for anti-vaccine group he founded

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gave the keynote address at a conference held by the anti-vaccine group Children's Health Defense, praising the Trump administration's vaccine policy changes. The report stresses his anti-vaccine ties, criticism from medical groups and Pennsylvania's governor, and a severe measles outbreak.

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The HillSep 17, 2026Sig. 7NewsHealth Politics Science

Kennedy fans vaccine injury concerns at anti-vaccine event

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. returned to the anti-vaccine group he once led and renewed concerns about vaccine injuries while claiming the White House supports the cause. The article notes that Kennedy misrepresented a CDC study and that decades of research have not established a link between vaccines and autism.

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PBS NewsHourSep 17, 2026Sig. 8NewsAI Technology Science

As AI behavior raises concerns, ex-researcher Jacob Coxon warns what may lie ahead

OpenAI disclosed new instances of concerning AI model behavior, prompting an interview with former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher Jacob Coxon. Coxon warns that AI systems are not fully controllable and that recursive self-improvement could lead to rapid, dangerous advances, calling for international coordination and a slowdown.

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The HillSep 17, 2026Sig. 7NewsHealth Politics Science

RFK Jr. says anti-vaccine group has a ‘friend at the White House’

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed the anti-vaccine group Children’s Health Defense, telling attendees the Trump administration is a 'friend at the White House' and vowing to investigate vaccine safety claims. The article reports his continued ties to the group and notes that once-fringe anti-vaccine views have gained influence in the administration.

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AxiosSep 17, 2026Sig. 8NewsHealth Politics Science

RFK Jr. questions vaccine safety at anti-vaccine organization gathering

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. used a keynote at Children’s Health Defense to signal the Trump administration will keep questioning routine vaccine safety and expanding exemptions. The article highlights HHS efforts to study vaccine safety while public health experts strongly dispute Kennedy’s claims and question the scientific credibility of his approach.

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The GuardianSep 17, 2026Sig. 8NewsHealth Politics Science

RFK Jr promises anti-vaxxers a ‘friend at the White House’ amid deadly measles outbreak

At a Children’s Health Defense conference, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told anti-vaccine activists they have a 'friend at the White House' even as measles deaths rise. The article details his remarks, the movement’s growing influence, and its continued promotion of debunked vaccine-autism claims.

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