Mastodawn

Update. "Supreme Court ruling blocks thousands of lawsuits against the maker of #Roundup weedkiller."
https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-roundup-monsanto-a7f054d80919f98bdfc5190013a8f6f1

The court ruled for #Monsanto because the #EPA said Roundup (#glyphosate) was harmless, not because the 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 said it was harmless. There's good evidence that that the EPA decision was flawed, if not cynical. It relied on studies written mostly by Monsanto staffers and the lead article has been retracted.

Here's the #SCOTUS decision itself.
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1068_n7ip.pdf

The upside: The #RepublicanSchism will deepen. Some #MAGA voters side with the Trump EPA friendliness to corporate polluters. Others (including #RFKJr when he could speak freely) side with #MAHA opposition to glyphosate.

The downside: More people will die from this poison.

#GoldStandardScience #Medicine #Misconduct #USLaw #USPol #USPolitics

Supreme Court blocks Roundup cancer lawsuits against Bayer

The Supreme Court has sided with the maker of Roundup weedkiller, blocking thousands of lawsuits alleging it failed to warn users the product could cause cancer. The decision on Thursday is a victory for the Trump administration but could complicate relations with allies who want to limit pesticide use. The court ruled that federal regulations finding a cancer link unlikely protect the company from state lawsuits. Roundup manufacturer Bayer disputes the cancer claims but has set aside billions of dollars to settle cases. Bayer says the ruling is good for science and farmers. Lawyers for some residents pursuing cases say the ruling “wrongly slams the courthouse door on Americans sickened by pesticides.”

AP News

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petersuber Apr 29

Update. It's happening. The #MAHA movement wants to ban #glyphosate and the #Trump #EPA wants to protect it. The split is deepening.
https://newrepublic.com/article/209617/lee-zeldin-trying-dodge-maha-critics

#RFKJr used to lead the opposition to glyphosate. Trump forced him to follow the party line, but he can't force or persuade the larger MAHA movement.

#Medicine #RepublicanSchism #USPol #USPolitics

Lee Zeldin Is Trying To Dodge His MAHA Critics

As adherents of the Make America Healthy Again movement get angry about Republicans’ reluctance to regulate glyphosate, the EPA administrator wants people to pay attention to anything but his record.

The New Republic

Peter Suber Apr 13

Looking forward to the new season of #RepublicanSchism. newrepublic.com/article/2089... #USPol #USPolitics

The MAGA Civil War Is Just Get...

The MAGA Civil War Is Just Getting Started

Trump is fighting a growing list of right-wing pundits and influencers who are critical of the Iran war—and who are playing a long game.

The New Republic

petersuber Apr 13

Looking forward to the new season of #RepublicanSchism.
https://newrepublic.com/article/208958/trump-iran-war-critics-maga-civil-war

#USPol #USPolitics

The MAGA Civil War Is Just Getting Started

Trump is fighting a growing list of right-wing pundits and influencers who are critical of the Iran war—and who are playing a long game.

The New Republic

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petersuber Feb 20

Update. #Trump decided to support #glyphosate and force #RFKJr (who built his career opposing it) to bow.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/us/politics/trump-boost-weedkiller.html

PS: On the minus side, we'll have more glyphosate ruining our #health and poisoning our #environment. On the plus side, we'll have more #MAHA acolytes denouncing Trump and RFKJr. The Times article quotes a good number of them.

#Medicine #RepublicanSchism #USPol #USPolitics

Trump’s Order Aims to Boost Ingredient Used in Roundup

An executive order aimed at ramping up production of glyphosate set off alarms among supporters of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The New York Times

petersuber Sep 20, 2025

"The share of #Republicans who see the country headed in the right direction has fallen sharply in recent months, according to the September survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Today, only about half in the GOP see the nation on the right course, down from 70% in June. The shift is even more glaring among Republican women and the party’s under-45 crowd."
https://apnews.com/article/poll-republicans-direction-country-kirk-violence-economy-66e5a964a807a5a1412ef0596f37ec39

PS: This triggered a wave of thoughts:
1. These numbers will give a few more Republican officials courage to stand up to #Trump
2. But actions arising from poll numbers are not actions arising from courage.
3. More precisely, the new numbers will give cover, not courage.
4. OK. Let it be cover, then. Whatever we call it, we need more of it.
5. Even if the numbers don't give courage, they will help a few more R's rise break free from cowardice.
6. What we really want, of course, are pols with courage who don't have wait for cover.

#Polls #RepublicanSchism #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

More Republicans say US is headed in wrong direction, poll finds

A new poll shows Republicans’ outlook on the direction of the country has soured dramatically. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll was conducted shortly after last week's assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah. The poll shows the share of Republicans who see the country headed in the right direction has fallen sharply in recent months. Today, only about half in the GOP see the nation on the right course, down from 70% in June. Overall, about one-quarter of Americans say things in the country are headed in the right direction, down from about 4 in 10 in June. Democrats and independents didn’t shift meaningfully.

AP News

petersuber Feb 23, 2025

"Trump’s Own Pollster Just Hit Him with Very Bad News —and a Warning"
https://newrepublic.com/article/191841/trump-approval-rating-pollster-bad-news-warning

PS: I can imagine that #Trump doesn't care that his base is crumbling. I can imagine that in his mind, either he won't run again, because he's term-limited, or he plans to stay in office no matter what happens in future elections. I can imagine that he'd be happy to make his mark even if there's nobody left who would vote for him. But here's the important snag in those plans. #Republicans in #Congress do want to run again. They have to worry about a crumbling base. At some point Trump's harm to the country, and voters, will give those R Senators and Reps #courage. But when?

We've all read about Rs who support him in public and oppose him in private. The fear of voters made them cowards and hypocrites. The same fear could lead them to public opposition, even if that smells more like self-interest than courage.

#RepublicanSchism #USPol #USPolitics

Trump’s Own Pollster Just Hit Him With Very Bad News—and a Warning

A poll of swing-district voters is already showing heaps of warning signs for Republicans bent on helping billionaires. That was fast.

The New Republic

petersuber Feb 17, 2025

Another article on #Trump voters with regrets.
https://www.alternet.org/wsj-2024-trump-voters/

It's very tempting to use these articles as excuses for gloating and blame. But the constructive way to read them is to help us understand why #Democrats failed to persuade these voters before the election. We can't afford to throw away good data.

#DemPostmortem #RepublicanSchism #USPol #USPolitics

'I feel so stupid': These 'horrified' Trump voters are having serious buyer’s remorse

2024 marked Donald Trump's fourth presidential campaign and his third as a Republican — and was the first time he won the popular vote, defeating Democratic nominee Kamala Harris by roughly 1.5 percent natiowide.Many Trump allies are describing his 2024 victory as a "landslide," which it wasn't; 1.5...

Alternet.org

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petersuber Jan 13, 2025

Update. Back-to-back hits.

"Insurrectionists Melt Down After Vance Says Trump Shouldn’t Pardon Violent J6ers"
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/01/insurrectionists-melt-down-after-vance-says-trump-shouldnt-pardon-violent-j6ers/

#RepublicanSchism #USPolitics